Iran’s Kish Air airline commences flights to Afghanistan

KANDAHAR (Pajhwok): Kish Air, Iran’s semi-state airline, on Friday commenced its flights to Afghanistan, with the first flight landing in southern Kandahar province.

In this regard a ceremony was held at Ahmad Shah Baba Airport in Kandahar city, in which Deputy Director of Afghanistan Aviation Authority, the Director of Foreign Affairs in Kandahar, the Iranian Consul General and a number of other officials were present.

Speaking on the occasion, Ghulam Jilani Wafa, Deputy Director of Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority, said the Kish Air flights, which have just started, would make easier travel between Afghanistan and Iran and would help further strengthen economic and political relations between the two neighboring countries.

He said the flights by Kish Air would not only expand political and economic relations between the two countries but would also encourage other airlines to start their flights to Afghanistan.

Wafa said the radars and other technical equipment of airports, including Kandahar, were destroyed during the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan.

He said some of the destroyed equipment had been repaired with the help of Qatar and UAE and the rest were being repaired.

Ali Reza Hajizadeh, Iranian Consul General in Kandahar, said the Kish Air would have flights from Iran to Kabul and Kandahar twice a week to provide people with more travel facilities.

He said they issued 100,000 visas to Afghans during the past one year and the number of visas would increase with a surge in flights between the two countries.

The diplomat said the flights would have a positive effect on trade relations between Iran and Afghanistan. He said they were expecting other airlines to start their flights to Afghanistan in order to further expand economic relations between the two nations.

Kandahar residents say it is pleasing that Afghanistan is expanding its relations with neighboring countries and the world.

Mohammad Akram, a resident of Kandahar city, said he was happy that Afghanistan’s ties with the world would improve, flights increase and land routes would be opened so that Afghans could come out of the current economic problems.

However, some residents asked the authorities to reduce ticket prices which increased after the Taliban’s coming into power.

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