Afghanistan developments may have Indian airlines changing course

If flying over Afghanistan is out of the picture, several Indian airlines will have to change their international routes and plans of expansion

The Taliban captured its 10th provincial capital near Kabul on Thursday, in a week-long blitz across Afghanistan. A day ago, India brought back about 50 of its officials and citizens living in and around Mazar-e-Sharif as the battle between Afghan National Defence and Security Forces and the Taliban intensified.

“As violence in many parts of Afghanistan has escalated, commercial air travel services to many provinces and cities are getting discontinued,” the Embassy of India in Kabul noted in its latest security advisory issued on Tuesday. “All Indian nationals visiting, staying and working in Afghanistan are strongly advised to keep themselves updated on the availability of commercial flights from various parts of Afghanistan and make immediate travel arrangements to return to India before commercial air services are discontinued to their place of stay or visit in Afghanistan.”

As far as India is concerned, he said New Delhi has mentioned very clearly that “we want to see an independent, peaceful, democratic and a stable Afghanistan. India has supported every opportunity that can bring peace, security and stability in Afghanistan."

India snapped its diplomatic relations with Afghanistan after the Taliban wrested power in Kabul in 1996. New Delhi re-established its diplomatic relations with Kabul after the Taliban was removed from power and an interim government led by President Hamid Karzai took office in December 2001.

Also Read | Afghanistan: A security nightmare for India

With the violence escalating in the middle-eastern country, if things do not settle down, India's ties with the country might drastically change.

The Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and Afghanistan saw Air India and SpiceJet fly between Kabul and New Delhi. Meanwhile, Afghanistan airlines connected New Delhi with Kabul, Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif and Herat. With the battle intensifying, even fewer airlines and lessors may allow their aircraft to operate there.

As writer Ameya Joshi notes in his MoneyControl column, Europe and North America-bound flights from Delhi usually fly over Pakistan and Afghanistan, spending between 30-45 minutes over the Afghan airspace.

In the past, he writes, the Taliban allowed overflying flights since it was also lucrative, however, the dangers cannot be overlooked. The downing of the Ukranian flight in Iran recently is an example of the dangers of flying over battle-fraught regions. The only way to deviate from flying over Afghanistan is to take the Persian gulf route - Joshi notes - which is both longer and more expensive (in terms of jet fuel).

With flying over Afghanistan out of the picture, several Indian airlines will have to change their international routes and plans of international expansion. Diplomatically, and for civil aviation in India, the way in which the Afghan-Taliban fighting goes will be very significant.

India has been supporting a national peace and reconciliation process that is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled. It has also been calling upon all sections of the political spectrum in Afghanistan to work together to meet the aspirations of all people in the country, including those from the minority communities, for a prosperous and safe future.

(With DHNS, agency inputs)

Check out DH's latest videos: