Flydubai announces resumption of daily flights to Kabul airport

Low-cost carrier flydubai announced flights to Kabul on Thursday, becoming the first international airline to resume services since US forces' chaotic withdrawal in 2021.

Twice-daily flights will begin on Nov.15, the Dubai-based airline said.

"flydubai... announced today the resumption of flights to Kabul International Airport," said a statement on the carrier's website.

Currently, Afghanistan's Kam Air and Ariana Afghan Airlines operate limited services from Kabul to destinations including Dubai, Moscow, Islamabad and Istanbul.

Last year, a United Arab Emirates company, GAAC, signed a contract to manage Afghanistan's air traffic, an agreement that was expected to bring back international airlines.

Flydubai will be the first international carrier to operate Kabul flights in two years, the Afghan consulate in Dubai said on its Facebook page.

Its return "will be the beginning of the resumption of flights for other international airlines," the consulate added.