Vladimir Karnozov

Russia is ready to render “civil aviation services” on the evacuation of Afghan nationals fleeing the Taliban and seeking asylum elsewhere, Russian ministry of foreign affairs spokeswoman Mariya Zakharova said on Thursday. The offer follows intensive diplomatic efforts that involved telephone talks between Russian president Vladimir Putin and his counterparts in Tajikistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, France, and Italy.&nbsp;
“In the view of the worsening situation in the Kabul international airport and&nbsp;the inability of the Western powers to take their citizens and servicemen out—not to mention the Afghan nationals and their family members who served them over the past years—we are ready to help them out. To prevent worsening of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, we are ready to provide services of the Russian civil aviation sector to carry any number of the Afghan citizens, including women and children, from Kabul to any foreign country willing to accept and settle them,” Zakharova said during the ministry’s regular press briefing.
At the same time, Russia itself will accept only those Afghans who have a documented connection with Russian citizens or successfully applied for asylum beforehand. About 100 Russian citizens residing in Afghanistan have registered with the Russian embassy in Kabul, mostly ethnical Afghans educated at Soviet or Russian universities and who married Russians but chose to return to their country of origin. “The embassy’s consular service is now focused on these kinds of applicants,” Zakharova said. The Russian immigration authorities called on them to declare readiness to leave Afghanistan against a deadline of August 22.
“The new Afghan authorities have ensured the Russian side that they have no principal objections on inbound and outbound flights to be made by the Russian civil airplanes,” added Zakharova. “They have also promised to guarantee safety and security of the aircrews and the passengers."
Zakharova explained that the ministry previously used the services of local carrier Ariana Afghan Airlines.&nbsp;”Since this option is no longer available, we plan to organize special charters, including for Russian citizens wishing to leave Afghanistan," she said.&nbsp;
The Taliban recently has refused a number of requests for landing at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport to various applicants, including Ukraine, which sent an Ilyushin Il-76MD military heavy-lifter to evacuate Ukrainian servicemen and civilians. Taliban gunmen positioned a number of anti-aircraft rapid-fire guns and shoulder-launched missiles around the airport fence to support the flight ban. Taliban authorities make exceptions on a case-by-case basis and have exempted the U.S. Air Force until August 30, although a possible extension could last for another 10 days in September.
A Turkish Airlines Boeing 777 appears to have been one of the few foreign airliners to operate in and out of Kabul this week. The aircraft returned to Istanbul, but the airline provided no details about the purpose of the August 16 flight.
On August 18, a Boeing 767 operated by Russian carrier UTAir arrived in Kabul from Moscow. According to state news agency TASS, the U.N.’s Assistance Mission in Afghanistan chartered the aircraft to conduct a routine rotation of its personnel.

<figure style="margin:0;">
<div style="margin-bottom:5px;"><img alt="FlightAware" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f37186b3-5770-4425-8b1d-f77207f14bdc" src="/sites/default/files/flightaware_ba3599_aug_18_2021_copy.png" width="1200" height="657" loading="lazy"></div>
<figcaption style="font-size:1.5rem;line-height:1.2;font-style:italic;">Flights such as the August 18 British Airways service from London to Bangkok tracked by FlightAware must take long detours to avoid Afghan airspace. (Image: FlightAware)</figcaption>
</figure>

In some cases, foreign airlines are sending airplanes to collect evacuees from Afghanistan from other locations, where they arrived via military aircraft. For instance, Lufthansa said that it collected around 130 people in an Airbus A340 from Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent on August 18&nbsp;as part of its support for a German government-organized air bridge that also operates out of Doha in Qatar.
More generally, the almost complete closure of Afghan airspace to civil traffic (on top of the existing closure of airspace over nearby Iran and Iraq) has forced airlines to take significant detours, and especially on flights between Europe and Asia. For example, British Airways flight 3599 from London to Bangkok has been flying further south than normal to head over the Indian Ocean via Saudi Arabia and Oman. The new route&nbsp;has added around two hours to the usual flight time, requiring the use of an estimated 15 additional tons of fuel.
ICAO this week activated its Coordinated Contingency Coordination Team that addresses emergency situations such as the one now surrounding air transport operations in and out of Afghanistan. IATA has joined the effort and begun&nbsp;working with its member airlines through its Global Tactical Operations Portal.
The industry group confirmed that military personnel runs all air traffic control services. It said that air traffic management agencies in nearby states have made arrangements to deal with additional traffic.

News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

Russia Offers To Fly Afghans Out of Kabul with Airliners 

The Taliban grants Russian airliners access to Kabul Airport to evacuate Afghan asylum seekers.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Agreement between start-ups could lead to orders for up to 15 aircraft

Skyhop Plans Island Routes With Noemi's Electric Seaplane

Howard Hardee

Airline plans to gradually replace its Embraer E-Jet fleet

A220’s Performance Drives BermudAir’s Fleet Growth

Partners say eVTOLs could accelerate response times in crowded Indian cities

Air India Backs SkyDrive Emergency Medical eVTOL Plans

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

Rival Boeing arguably claimed bragging rights at the Farnborough International show

Airbus Balances Shareholder Returns and New Aircraft

New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

Connections to London Heathrow and Manchester airports will start first

Virgin Firms Up eVTOL Air Taxi Alliance with Joby

News and developments about everything that goes into the cabin of an aircraft, from floor coverings to headliners, with a special emphasis on in-flight entertainment, communications and other electronics for passengers. If it is in the cabin of an aircraft, it’s covered here.

More In Airlines

Skyhop Plans Island Routes With Noemi's Electric Seaplane

Agreement between start-ups could lead to orders for up to 15 aircraft

A220’s Performance Drives BermudAir’s Fleet Growth

Airline plans to gradually replace its Embraer E-Jet fleet

Air India Backs SkyDrive Emergency Medical eVTOL Plans

Partners say eVTOLs could accelerate response times in crowded Indian cities

Airbus Balances Shareholder Returns and New Aircraft

Rival Boeing arguably claimed bragging rights at the Farnborough International show

Virgin Firms Up eVTOL Air Taxi Alliance with Joby

Connections to London Heathrow and Manchester airports will start first

ATR Chases New Regional Markets for Twin Turboprops

Iran war and wider geopolitical pressure stall buying decisions

Embraer Racks Up E-Jet Orders at Farnborough

30 firm orders led by Abra

Gulf Air May Buy JetZero’s Blended-wing-body Z4

Japan Airlines also expresses interest at Farnborough Airshow

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN