Ariana Afghan Airlines asked to purchase cargo aircraft soon

KABUL (Pajhwok): The office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs has directed Ariana Afghan Airlines to purchase a cargo aircraft as soon as possible and to set new airfreight rates — one US dollar per kilogram for exports and 80 cents per kilogram for imports.

In a statement, the deputy PM office said the directive was issued during a meeting chaired by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, with representatives from relevant ministries and agencies to review the export of Afghanistan’s commercial goods, particularly dried and fresh fruits, via air cargo.

At the meeting, Ariana Afghan Airlines was instructed to implement the new tariff structure for export and import goods, while the Ministries of Finance and Transport and Civil Aviation were ordered to provide the airline with a 90 percent discount on their service fees.

It said Ariana Afghan Airline has been instructed to procure a cargo aircraft at the earliest opportunity to facilitate the export and import of Afghan goods by air.

hz/ma