Abu Dhabi service Etihad stated Friday it’s launching flights to Kabul, making it the most recent airline to supply direct routes to the Afghan capital.
Etihad, which introduced a report $476 million revenue in 2024, stated the brand new service responded to “rising demand” for journey between the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan and that the three weekly flights beginning in December would help “commerce, journey, and group ties.”
“The UAE hosts one of many largest Afghan communities within the Gulf, with round 300,000 Afghans dwelling and dealing within the nation, in response to the Afghan Enterprise Council,” the airline stated in a press release. “The brand new flights will additional strengthen these financial and social ties whereas enhancing connectivity by Abu Dhabi.”
Different worldwide carriers flying direct to Kabul embody Turkish Airlines and FlyDubai.
The oil-rich UAE has solid shut ties with the Taliban-led authorities of Afghanistan in recent times.
In June 2024, the Emirati chief, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, met a high official and Cupboard member, Sirajuddin Haqqani, who had a U.S. bounty on his head over his involvement in an assault that killed an American citizen and different assaults.
Just a few months later, the UAE accepted the credentials of a Taliban authorities ambassador.
Regardless that the Taliban are largely remoted from the West, because of their restrictions on women and ladies, they’ve efficiently established bilateral relations with regional powers.
In July, Russia turned the primary nation to acknowledge them because the official authorities of Afghanistan. And, on Friday, India stated it was upgrading its technical mission in Kabul to a full embassy.
—Related Press
