Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) halted flights to Kabul on Thursday (14 October) due to shifting dynamics and unfavorable conditions for international aircraft operations.
Abdullah Hafeez, a spokesman for Pakistan International Airlines, said the decision to continue flying into Kabul despite the regime transition was made for humanitarian reasons and at the request of some friendly organizations.
Furthermore, he said “PIA was operating charter flights to Kabul. The insurance premium on these flights is so high that it is simply impossible to operate scheduled flights, as it is still considered a war zone by aircraft insurance companies and lessors.”
The Taliban government had requested that PIA reduce ticket costs to the same levels as before the Afghan government’s fall in August. They threatened to prohibit PIA and Afghan carrier Kam Air’s operations in the country if ticket prices did not fall to levels seen before they took control.
In addition, Abdullah Hafeez said “It required a load of 300 people on a single flight to break even after paying high insurance and operating costs. Hence any imposition to reduce the flight capacity by half or reverting to August 15 levels is simply not possible.”
According to media reports, Afghanistan’s aviation ministry also instructed PIA to cut the number of passengers on one aircraft this week, which was already in the process of checking in. The airline officials sent 176 individuals home because of the incident. The airline suffered a loss of over $500,000 because of increased insurance expenses.
Hafeez concluded, “PIA at the moment is holding and would re-evaluate its options till the situation on the ground improves and becomes more conducive for international operations.”
International airlines were hesitant to fly into Afghanistan when the Taliban assumed control of the country. According to a media source citing travel agents in Kabul, PIA tickets to Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, were selling for as much as $2,500. Before the Taliban took power in August, travel operators in Kabul stated that ticket prices were approximate $120-$150.
Furthermore, a source within the airline said that the main cause for the suspension of PIA aircraft operations from Kabul was Taliban commanders’ harsh treatment of airline officials.
According to the source, the Taliban have been accused of changing flight authorization on short notice, in violation of international standards, and modifying restrictions on the spur of the moment. Moreover, PIA’s country representative in Afghanistan was also detained for hours at gunpoint on suspicion of assisting and abetting persons fleeing Afghanistan.
