Ariana airlines chief calls for permission to resume international flights

The general manager of Ariana Afghan Airlines, the largest airline in Afghanistan, has called on foreign countries to grant permission for them to resume flights into their countries.

Speaking to a China Global Television Network (CGTN) reporter on Sunday, Qari Abdulrahim Gulzad, general manager of the Afghan flag carrier, said his company is ready to resume international routes, but is still waiting for permission from foreign countries.

“As of now, only domestic flights are taking place. International flights have not yet started, although we are ready. We have three planes that operate domestically, that fly internationally as well. We are just waiting for the mutual agreements between the aviation ministry and foreign countries to allow them to fly internationally again,” said Gulzad.

He also said Ariana airlines is eager to resume operations in order to bring back Afghans from abroad.

“We are waiting eagerly because Afghans who are stuck in India, the UAE, and Turkey are in very bad condition. They don’t have money. Their visas have expired. They can’t leave their hotels. Some Afghans in the UAE and India have died and their bodies are there.

“I would like to ask these countries to be flexible regarding international aviation rules as a humanitarian act and let us fly there and take our people who are in trouble in these countries back home,” he said.

Ariana Afghan Airlines resumed its flights from Kabul to three major cities on Saturday, namely, Herat in the west, Mazar-i-Sharif in the north and Kandahar in the south.