After ten days since the end of air bridge operations, a Qatar Airways plane took off on Thursday from Kabul Airport, marking the first international civilian flight since the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan last month. This flight comes after more than a week of stalled international efforts to evacuate more foreigners and Afghans trapped in the country. Some praised the departure of the plane, which carried dozens of Americans, Canadians, and Britons, as a sign that the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan might be ready to engage with the world, following their seizure of power last month, according to a report by The New York Times.
The takeoff of the first commercial flight followed two days after the Taliban announced a transitional government mostly comprised of Pashtuns, including hardline Islamists and some individuals wanted by the U.S. on terrorism charges. In comments regarding the flight's takeoff, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said, "We managed to operate the first passenger flight just an hour ago," thanking the Taliban for their assistance in reopening the airport. Qatari envoy Mutlaq bin Majed Al Qahtani also noted in a press conference, "Kabul Airport is now operating."
Additionally, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated that the resumption of commercial flights would be crucial to ensure the continued flow of essential aid into the country. In this context, the UN Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons, stated on Thursday that there is an urgent need for cash to flow quickly into the country "to prevent a complete collapse of the economy and the social system." Lyons warned the UN Security Council that freezing Afghanistan's international assets and donor funds would ignite a "severe economic contraction that could plunge millions more into poverty and hunger."
The Qatari plane arrived in Kabul from Doha carrying 50 tons of relief supplies, including foodstuffs, according to reports cited by The New York Times. While the flight appeared to be a step toward resolving the diplomatic stalemate that left dozens of Americans and other international workers stranded in Afghanistan, it remained unclear whether the Taliban would allow tens of thousands of Afghans who previously assisted the U.S. government to obtain emergency U.S. visas for departure. It was also unclear whether Afghans without passports from other countries boarded that flight.
**Who Was on Board?**
It was not immediately clear how many passengers were on the flight, but footage showed a group of men, women, and children boarding the plane, some holding dual citizenship and passports from the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Canada, and Germany, according to The New York Times report. While Reuters reported from a knowledgeable source that about 113 passengers were on board, including Americans, Canadians, Ukrainians, Germans, and Britons, The Washington Post, citing diplomats in Kabul, indicated that 211 passengers, including around 30 Americans, boarded the flight. The Reuters source noted that the passengers were transported to Kabul Airport in a convoy of Qatari vehicles after securing safe passage. In Doha, they would initially stay in a complex that hosts Afghans and evacuees from other nationalities.
Foreign officials and the Taliban stated that Afghans with dual nationality would be allowed to depart, but it remained unclear whether any of them were on the first flight. It also remained unclear whether flights would be permitted to and from Mazar-i-Sharif Airport in the north, where dozens of Americans and hundreds of Afghans await departure from the country. The New York Times noted that the flight represented new hope for those trapped in the country who could not evacuate during the chaotic airlift, including Safi, a 42-year-old who told the newspaper, "I survived an ISIS attack, and today I was able to travel."
In late August, a suicide attack at the airport gates killed dozens of Afghans and 13 U.S. service members. Safi added, "The scene at the airport is relatively calm; it seems that the authorities are fulfilling their promises here." For the remaining Americans stranded in the country, officials indicated that "the most urgent cases have been evacuated for travel, but there will be more opportunities to leave Afghanistan." Despite international flights arriving and departing from Kabul Airport carrying officials, technicians, and aid, this marks the first civilian flight since the chaotic evacuation operations that removed 124,000 people following the Taliban's takeover on August 15 during the withdrawal of foreign forces.
