First civilian flight leaves Kabul airport since US pullout

An international flight transporting passengers, including American citizens, has left the Afghan capital for Qatar, for the first time since the last of the US forces left Afghanistan ten days ago.

The flight, with 200 passengers aboard, took off from the Kabul international airport on Thursday. According to the National Security Council (NSC), the flight which was operated by Qatar Airways had landed safely in Doha.

Nationals from the United States, Canada, Ukraine, Germany, and Britain had been on board. A second flight is also expected to operate at the airport on Friday, according to the Taliban.

The Council Spokeswoman, Emily Horne, welcomed the move. “This is a positive first step.”

“The Taliban have been cooperative in facilitating the departure of American citizens,” she said. “They have shown flexibility, and they have been businesslike and professional in our dealings with them in this effort.”

Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also praised the Taliban for allowing the flight to depart. “We managed to fly the first plane with passengers… we thank (the Taliban) for their cooperation,” he said in televised remarks on Thursday.

Qatar, which is a major transit point for Afghan refugees, said it worked with Turkey to swiftly resume operations at the airport in Kabul. They reached an agreement with the Taliban to help provide security at the airport.

ME