New Delhi, August 16:
National carrier’s scheduled Air India flight to Kabul will not be able to operate after airspace over Afghanistan was declared closed, an official said on Monday.
“Airspace over Afghanistan is declared closed so no aircraft can operate there. Our scheduled flight to Kabul also cannot go,” an Air India spokesperson said.
The airline had a scheduled flight for Kabul from Delhi at 8.50am in the morning on Monday but was rescheduled to 12.50pm and subsequently suspended following the closure of airspace at Kabul after a NOTAM, notice to airmen — official notice containing information on flight operations — was issued.
On Sunday, the airline officials said the national carrier was monitoring the situation in Kabul and will continue scheduled flights to the region for the time being.
Air India flight 244 took off on Sunday at 6.06pm from Kabul for Delhi with 129 passengers. “We are monitoring the situation and as of now continuing with our scheduled flights to Kabul,” an Air India spokesperson said.
On Sunday afternoon, Air India flight 243 from Delhi to Kabul scheduled to land at 1.45pm held off on landing for nearly two hours while hovering in the air near the capital as reports of the Taliban entered the gates of capital city Kabul emerged. The flight finally landed around 3.30pm.
