With the collapse of the Afghanistan government, what happens to the airspace? Can flights get in and out of Kabul or overfly the country?
On Sunday, airlines were notified that there are no longer civilian air traffic control services available in Afghanistan. Kabul’s airport has closed to civilian air traffic, and all commercial flights in and out of Afghanistan are canceled.
That hasn’t stopped desperate civilians from trying to get out of the country as the Taliban reassumed power. On Monday, USA TODAY reported that seven people died amid the mayhem as crowds swarmed the military landing strip at Hamid Karzai International Airport.
Military aircraft are flying in Afghanistan to provide evacuation services and are being controlled by U.S. military controllers. How long that evacuation will take is uncertain.
In the meantime, civilian lights that normally overfly Afghanistan are being rerouted. This longer routing causes additional flight time and fuel costs but is necessary. World airlines have gotten very conservative about flying over conflict zones after the Malaysian Airlines B777 was shot down in Ukraine in 2014, killing 283 passengers and 15 crew.
Until the situation stabilizes within the country, the airspace is likely to remain closed. Once a new government begins air traffic services and the airspace is safe, commercial flights can return.
Prior to the U.S. invasion in 2001, Afghanistan’s pre-Taliban government ran the country air traffic control system; it is likely to revert back to something similar in the future. Countries make income from fees for overflights and landings so there is incentive to return air traffic control services quickly, but they will need to make sure they meet international standards.
►The latest: US troops try to manage Kabul airport turmoil; 7 dead as thousands attempt to flee Taliban
► Biden’s Saigon: War, helicopters, and humans in Kabul trigger images of defeat
►What we know:How did the Taliban retake Afghanistan so quickly? What’s happening now?
John Cox is a retired airline captain with US Airways and runs his own aviation safety consulting company, Safety Operating Systems. The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.
The post What happens to air travel in Afghanistan after US withdrawal? Who controls the airspace? appeared first on The News Amed.