Flydubai has become the first international airline to resume regularly scheduled passenger flights to the Afghan capital, Kabul, after the Taliban managed to seize back control of the country in August 2021.
No stranger to operating in volatile environments, Flydubai is one of the few remaining airlines to be operating scheduled flights to Tel Aviv even as its sister carrier Emirates grounded flights on Friday.
International airlines quickly abandoned Afghanistan as the Taliban encircled Kabul and seized back control as American and British troops hurriedly left the country. Kabul Airport was a focal point of the evacuation as foreigners and Afghans alike rushed to escape the city.
Flydubai first flew to Kabul in 2010, but the airline hasn’t operated any flights to the Afghan capital in more than two years. On Thursday, the suspension ended with a new once-daily service between Dubai and Kabul.
From November 15, Flydubai says it intends to operate twice daily flights on its Boeing 737 fleet.
A UAE-based company won the contract to run Kabul International Airport and return it to international standards on behalf of the Taliban. GAAC will also provide ground handling and security screening services after beating a rival Qatari-led bid.
Qatar Airways was the first airline to operate a civilian flight to Kabul following the Taliban takeover in order to repatriate foreign citizens who had been stranded in Afghanistan.
