More planes are returning to Afghan skies – making money for the Taliban in the process

Around 80-100 flights, including international airlines, are going in and out of Afghanistan’s airspace, each making about £593 for the hardline Islamic government, reports Arpan Rai

A plane takes off from Hamid Karzai International airport in Kabul, Afghanistan (AFP via Getty Images)

A little over a year after the fall of Afghanistan’s government that led to a chaotic and panic-driven mass exodus and closure of the country’s airspace, international flights have returned over Afghan skies, boosting revenue for the hardline Taliban government.

Around 80-100 flights, including international airlines from Europe and Asia, are now going in and out of Afghanistan’s airspace in a day, Imamuddin Ahmadi, spokesperson of the Taliban’s ministry of transportation and civil aviation, told The Independent.

And each flight using the airspace pays the Islamic government US $700 (£593).