Airlines Reroutes Planes Around Afghanistan as Taliban Gains Control

The Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority (ACAA) announced that Kabul airspace control was handed over to the military. The ACAA announced that planes will be “flying in un-controlled airspace at their own risk”.

Commercial airlines including United Airlines, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic stopped using Afghanistan airspace as the Taliban took over the presidential palace in Kabul.

United Airlines announced that “Due to the dynamic nature of the situation we have begun routing affected flights around Afghanistan airspace”. The airline offers flights to Delhi from Newark Liberty International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport. It also offers flights to Mumbai via Newark.

United announced that it is working with the Federal Aviation Administration and the International Air Transport Association. United is the only US airline providing nonstop flights to India.

Korean Air Lines announced that they were using Afghan airspace on Monday for their cargo flights but not for passenger flights. Its spokesperson said that “Due to the situation in Afghanistan, we are flying our cargo flights at higher altitudes”.

Uncontrolled Airspace

ACAA calls Afghanistan’s airspace “un-controlled”. According to flight tracking site FlightRadar24, an Air India flight from Chicago to Delhi immediately exited Afghanistan airspace after entering. Another Terra Avia flight from Baku to Delhi also switched its course.

Airlines and governments are extra careful when flying commercial flights over conflict zones. In 2014, A Malaysia Airlines plane crashed after it was downed in rebel-controlled Eastern Ukraine. And just last year, Iran’s military shot a Ukraine International Airlines plane by “mistake”.

In July, the FAA warned against flying below 26,000 feet in the Kabul Flight Information Region, which covers most of Afghanistan. The FAA cited the dangers “posed by extremist/militant activity”. Canada, Britain, and Germany also advised their commercial airlines to maintain an altitude of at least 25,000 feet.

Afghanistan In Chaos

Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani left the country on Sunday before Taliban forces stormed and took control of Kabul. Several countries are now working to evacuate their citizens including the US, South Korea, and New Zealand.