KABUL (Pajhwok): The United States and the Europe civil aviation agencies have allowed airliners to fly over Afghanistan at altitudes exceeding 32,000 feet, according to a media report.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted permission to American airliners to fly over the Kabul Flights Information Region (FIR) at altitudes exceeding 32,000 feet, The Economic Times reported.
In the coming weeks, the travel time between the East, including India, and the West will be significantly reduced, especially after key aviation regulators allow commercial aircraft to resume flying over Afghanistan.
This decision comes as the FAA assesses reduced risks to US civil aviation operations at higher altitudes in the region.
The move aligns with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) directive to its member state airlines, urging them not to fly below 32,000 feet due to ongoing potential threats to civil aviation and high operational risks at lower altitudes.
Since August 2021, flights between the western and eastern regions, including northern India, have taken longer routes to circumvent Afghanistan airspace.
Bot FAA and EASA have cited concerns about the limited capacity of Air Traffic Services (ATS) across Afghanistan.
Imamuddin Ahmadi, a spokesman for the Ministry of Transportation and Civil Aviation, told Pajhwok that after the Islamic Emirate’s takeover, the ministry announced that Afghanistan’s airspace was safe and ready for international flights.
He said: “The fact that some countries now have given permission to their airlines that Afghanistan's airspace is safe, this is good and we welcome it, because Afghanistan's airspace was safe before and, if international flights pass through Afghanistan, it will be in Afghanistan's interest.”
Ahmadi also said currently 100 to 110 flights crossed through Afghanistan every 24 hours.
According to him, if there is a change in this number and the number of flights via Afghanistan increases, Afghanistan's income will also increase.
sa/ma
