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Afghanistan sees spike in int’l flights overhead amid growing tension in Mid-East
The spike came after Iran launched a massive missile attack on Israel last week, which led to flights diverting and flying over Afghanistan
Afghanistan has seen a record high number of international flights passing through its airspace in the past week, amid escalating tension in West Asia.
The spike came after Iran launched a massive missile attack on Israel last week, which led to flights diverting and flying over Afghanistan.
According to The Independent, a record 191 flights passed over Afghanistan, each one paying the Islamic Emirate $700 for the privilege.
The Independent reported that these flights included British Airways, Lufthansa, and Swiss Air planes.
FlightRadar24 recorded an average of 147 flights per day through Afghan airspace between 19 and 30 September, not including journeys that started or finished in Afghanistan itself.
The number went up to 171 on Tuesday when Iran launched 180 missiles against Israel. And on Thursday and Friday, this number went up to 191, The Independent reported.
Speaking to the publication, FlightRadar24’s spokesperson Ian Petchenik said, "We’re seeing aircraft that would normally transit through Iran make use of Afghanistan airspace now."
"As we start to see more and more airspace restrictions (in West Asia), airlines are making a trade-off or a calculated decision on risk – is this a safe method of operation? And is it safer than the alternative that still allows us to operate these flights?” Petchenik added.
The Afghan airspace has been largely avoided by international flights since the Islamic Emirate regained power in August 2021.
But the number of flights has steadily gone up since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7 last year and the escalating conflict in parts of Middle East and West Asia.
Speaking to Reuters, a spokesperson from FlightRadar24 said that international flights diverted “anywhere they could,” and a snapshot of traffic in the region showed flights spreading in wide arcs to the north and south, with many converging on Cairo and Istanbul.
On Tuesday, about 80 flights, operated by the likes of Emirates, British Airways, Lufthansa, and Qatar Airways and bound for major Middle East hubs such as Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, were diverted to places such as Cairo and European cities, its data showed.
At least 20 children have been killed in Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Thursday.
"UNICEF is deeply saddened by reports that at least 20 children have been killed in an attack near the border in eastern Afghanistan. Our sincere condolences to those who have lost loved ones. Children are not and must never be a target," Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF's regional director in South Asia, said.
Pakistan carried out airstrikes on Paktika's Barmal district on Tuesday night. The Islamic Emirate said 46 people were killed in the strikes.
Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, stated that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) will not hesitate to defend the Afghan people and will reject any party's directives.
Speaking at a program at Kabul University, Kabir emphasized that the IEA does not allow any armed groups to operate on Afghanistan's soil. He also remarked that false accusations against Afghanistan serve no constructive purpose and only worsen relations, leading to increased violence.
Kabir welcomed the reopening of the Saudi Arabian embassy in Kabul, calling it a positive step in bilateral relations.
Additionally, he highlighted the IEA's efforts to enhance the education system, ensuring that students receive both modern education and religious training.
Kabir affirmed that Afghanistan's educational system is grounded in Islamic and Afghan values, free from the influence of any political factions.
Marking the 45th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Anas Haqqani, a prominent member of the Islamic Emirate, stated that the Afghans had previously defeated "arrogant empires."
In a post on his X account on Thursday, Haqqani remarked that despite the historical defeats suffered by past invaders, none had learned from their predecessors' fate, which ultimately led to the downfall of subsequent aggressors.
He pointed out that some people still fail to grasp the clear lessons of Afghanistan's history.
Haqqani underscored that while the Afghan people celebrated the end of Soviet occupation by achieving their freedom, it came at a tremendous cost.
He concluded by honoring the sacrifices of those who paved the way for this victory, asserting that their legacy will remain etched in the collective memory of humanity for generations to come.
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