The Taliban brought in Turkey and Qatar to run the Kabul airport. There’s even the possibility of a Priority Pass-accessible primeclass lounge.
Now they’re looking for scheduled commercial air service.
Like airport managers in Buchanan Field Airport in Concord, California and Watertown Regional Airport in South Dakota, the Taliban is pitching schedule planners on the benefits of air service. And like those small cities, they’re pledging to be easy for airlines to work with.
The Taliban government in Afghanistan appealed on Sunday for international flights to be resumed, promising full cooperation with airlines and saying that problems at Kabul airport had been resolved.
A limited number of aid and passenger flights have been operating from the airport. But normal commercial services have yet to resume since it was closed in the wake of the chaotic evacuation of tens of thousands of foreigners and vulnerable Afghans that followed the Taliban’s seizure of the capital.
There has been limited air service, including from Pakistan International Airlines, but as the Taliban transitions from revolution to governing they’re finding constituents mad at the high cost of airfare given limited supply of seats.
Even selling tickets to Afghans is hard though. The last time the Taliban was in charge, non-governmental use of the internet was punishable by death. That included use of e-mail, so where do receipts go? The country’s top-level internet domain is .af and institutions there are collapsed .af.
This should be interesting. They will need to bring in somebody (males only I suppose) who knows what they’re doing. Whoever it is I hope they have a good contract with a literal “escape” clause. My father knew an American electrical engineer who was one of several enticed by Stalin to come to the USSR in the ’30s. He got paid well (women and gold) but left early. The rest stayed and when done everyone was shot.
even if they find an airline that wants to fly to Afghanistan. I wonder if anyone wants to fly to Afghanistan. even the Afghanis outside Afghanistan who occasionally went back to visit relatives don’t even go back let alone people from other countries. I would say to Taliban first form a good government with normal people of all ethnicities and not just mullahs then ask a company who wants to fly to kabul.
LOL…
yes, travel to beautiful AF – where your wife & daughters will be raped & murdered., then we will pull out your finger nails as you watch (then butt rape you as well)…then murder your barber for giving you a shave & haircut. Sounds great!!!
The jokes write themselves with this one.
I don’t know whether to laugh or laugh rolling on the floor!
The country run by a collection of tribes (gangs) who can’t agree on anything except shoot first?
International sanctions need to be in place that bans ANY commercial service in or out. Of course the Chinese will show up and “help” because they want AF natural resources. That should be a cluster doodle! Those people deserve each other.
Oh, and an airport and planes caveat (Gary’s word of the day) of alcohol.
No thanks…..
This is where I’d ask what they’ve been drinking & where can I get some, but something tells me they haven’t been drinking. 🙂
I trust the T to operate and manage its own country better the U.S. Their leaders aren’t bowing down to woke propaganda and will probably do a better job than local and state governments with big urban centers full of thugs here who turn every thing they touch to waste. The T probably will have better border security and won’t let Haitian illegals storm their country. The T will use state funds for actual afghanis instead of paying for gender studies in Pakistan. Their cops probably won’t be arresting Muslims for going to a mosque during Covid.
Would AA fly there?
Geez, Jackson, didn’t you see the memo? The “thugs” who caused all the damage last year were the proud boys and the boogergaloo boys in partnership with racist cops. They were trying to make the peaceful protesters look bad. Kind of difficult when all evidence shows all the peaceful protesters had gone home. They had a strict “no protesting after dark” rule because they had children to take care of. You seem to be enamored of authoritarian rulers. You and Tucker Carlson. Maybe you and Tucker should move there since America doesn’t seem to meet your standards? I heard there was no “left” in AF. Paradise for you and Tucker! Oh, and to be clear: our leaders are bowing down to billionaires and corporations. That whole “woke” thing is a distraction, a red herring (Google it), to fool “patridiots” like you. Have a nice day!
Sincerely, the deep state.
The Taliban can go suck it!!!!
Wonder what an award seat will cost?
C’mon, man – there’s a bidding war between the CIA and the State Department as to who will be running this airline!
Chinese (CCP) airlines. China has the most to gain, plus they won’t mess with China out of fear of what China will do if they did.
@GetToThePoints – at this point there’s no redemption relationship, just a codeshare
@GetToThePoints @Gary Be careful, award redemptions may cost you an arm or a leg (or at least a hand).
I’ll go after Jorge goes and reports back. And I don’t mean self-identifying as having gone and reported back either. Have a nice trip Jorge.
Does anyone remember those signs in the airport 15-20 years ago always warning about the airport in Lagos, Nigeria nor being secure and warning about traveling there? They were odd to see in tiny airports in the Midwest, but there they were.
Maybe if Afghanistan gets restored air connections, we can get the same signs put up again for travel to Kabul. Just to constantly remind the flying public what Surrender Joe wrought.
Great opportunity for a new airline startup financed by Putin & Aeroflot & Q-tRumplican “Big Lie” funds.
Additional Pass Go & Collect $200 Million by licensing the Peoples Republic of China to build the KABUL Q- tRUMP Towers?
I’m with @AlohaDaveKennedy, George always brags about vacationing in 8 countries in 3 days without wearing a mask at any time despite requirements, flying all first class (of course). Reading his firsthand review should be a riot.
What would be both fun and constructive would be for any airline flying to Kabul to require a female only flight crew as an inviolate condition for air service.