As Afghanistan collapsed to Taliban forces, the United States had a choice to make: destroy billions of dollars worth of aircraft equipment, turn it over to the Taliban, or bring it out of the country. In a surprisingly clever...
Please Help: Afghan Refugees Need Clothing. Now.
As we reflect upon the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we are confronted with a new challenge directly related to the string of events those aircraft hijackings unleashed. Today, as the U.S. seeks to resettle Afghan refugees who...
Touching: United Pilot Who Fled Afghanistan At Age 9 Aids Afghan Rescue Effort
Amidst all the bad news about Afghanistan, stories of hope have emerged. One such story centers on Zak Khogyani, who fled Afghanistan when he was a child. Now a United Airlines pilot, Khogyani had a unique opportunity to aid...
U.S. Airlines Now Blocked From Flying Over Afghanistan
With the U.S. pullout now complete and Kabul International Airport under Taliban control, U.S. airlines will no longer be able fly over virtually all of the country without prior authorization. U.S. Airlines Cannot Fly Over Afghanistan During the pullout,...
Another Baby Born on Afghanistan Rescue Flight
Several babies have now been born on Afghan flights as part of rescue missions bringing some of the brightest news in a dark situation. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both...
Afghan Refugees Waiting Up To 12 Hours To Exit Planes At Washington Dulles Airport
Afghan refugees arriving in the United States are sitting on airplanes for up to 12 hours on the tarmac at Washington Dulles International Airport as their paperwork is processed. Afghan Refugees Waiting 10-12 Hours To Even Step Off Airplanes...
Explosion Outside Kabul Airport, Evacuation Flight Under Fire
The situation in Kabul is rapidly deteriorating with an explosion taking place outside Kabul Airport after western governments warned citizens to stay away and the U.S. closed gates to the airport, citing terrorist threats. Earlier, an aircraft carrying refugees...
Pentagon Activates Civil Reserve Air Fleet, Orders U.S. Airlines To Persian Gulf
In an effort to speed up evacuation efforts in Afghanistan, the U.S. Department of Defense has activated its Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF), a 70-year old program used to enlist the aid of commercial airlines in the case of...
Kabul Airport Open For Business…Getting Past Taliban Checkpoints Is A Whole Different Matter
The world heard Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid promise yesterday that the Taliban would respect women’s rights, not let Afghanistan become a haven for terrorism, and forgive those who fought against it. But even as Kabul Airport is once again open...
640 Afghans Force Their Way Onto C-17 Evacuation Flight From Kabul
In a story that is simultaneously heartening and disheartening, 640 Afghans managed to evade security barriers and rush onboard the cargo hold of a U.S. military C-17 transport late Sunday. The group was allowed to stay onboard and evacuated...
Remembering My Trip To Afghanistan…
I have a lot of thoughts on Afghanistan, some of them political in nature and some simply reflective of my visit to Afghanistan in 2012. Vivid Memories Of My Trip To Afghanistan So much is changing so quickly. For...
Death And Chaos At Kabul Airport As Afghans Desperately Try To Escape Afghanistan
As Afghanistan falls to the Taliban, thousands have descended upon Kabul Airport in a desperate bid to escape. The result has been chaos and bloodshed, with stowaways seen falling from the sky and at least three Afghans killed in...
When Afghanistan Was An Oasis Of Tranquility
Few nations have faced turmoil like Afghanistan. From a disastrous Soviet occupation to an even bloodier civil war to an imposition of a strict variant of Islamic law to a western invasion…oh, what turbulent times. But it wasn’t always...
The Airline in Which Pilots and FAs Are Too Afraid to Come to Work
Times are grim for Kam Air, the main private airline in Afghanistan. Fearing for their safety, foreign workers are fleeing the country, forcing the carrier to cancel the majority of its flights. Last week a deadly terrorist attack rocked...
Why I Went to Afghanistan When I Did
Things in Afghanistan are going downhill…to put it lightly. The latest headline is Taliban Attack on Kabul Restaurant Rattles Close-Knit Expat Community in which we learn: KABUL—Shock spread through Kabul’s close-knit expatriate community after the Taliban killed 21 people, including...
Dubai to New York via Jeddah in Saudia Economy Class
The Saudia flight was from Dubai to Jeddah was so uneventful I will only spend a few sentences on it—I was tried and quickly fell asleep after the meal service, which included beef with noodles and mixed vegetables. A...
Kabul to Dubai on flydubai
فلاي دبي (flydubai) is a low-cost carrier based in Dubai offering budget flights throughout the Middle East and beyond. The ticket from Kabul to Dubai was $152 and flydubai was the only carrier with an afternoon flight. FAs were...
The Afghanistan Dilemma
It was a brisk winter day, but heat from a black wood-burning stove warmed the room. Sunlight streamed in from outside and the sound of the rushing Panjshir River outside was audible over the din of voices inside. Faded...
Kabul International Airport and Departing Afghanistan
We love complaining about the obtrusive Transportation Security Administration at US airports, but our little TSA has nothing on the security measures in effect at Kabul International Airport. Of course I am making an apples to oranges comparison, but...
Kabul – The Green Zone and British Cemetery
Although the term “Green Zone” is more closely associated with Baghdad, Kabul has its own Green Zone housing the diplomatic missions of various countries and the seat of the Afghan government. The walled city within a city is accessible...
