Once named after the country’s former president “Hamid Karzai” in 2014 by the National Assembly and the cabinet of the fugitive president Ashraf Ghani, Afghanistan’s main international airport was given the name “Kabul International Airport” by the Taliban in 2021 as the regime changed.
The airport witnessed the worst experience of its kind in history while thousands rushed to the gates and even the runway, getting killed or injured while trying to flee the country in August 2021. The withdrawal of international forces from Kabul international airport left millions of dollars in damages, resulting in the destruction of the country’s national wealth by means of civil and military equipment.
Wounds heal slowly with a lot of effort and time.
Now the airport operates with up to 18 flights a day, flying to and from regional countries like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Russia, UAE, and India.
Bashir Ahmad, who landed from a flight arriving from Saudi Arabia, says, “I came from Jeddah without facing any difficulties. I didn’t have any problems with the flight. Kabul airport is much better now.”
Another passenger, Abdul Qayyum, assures travelers of security at the airport and beyond. “People may travel without any concerns and fly back and forth regularly. They shouldn’t worry at all. There’s a lot going on on TVs and social media reflecting negative news about the country, which is absolutely the opposite.”
Habibullah Hilal, a field security personnel, explains the nature of his duty in a 4-hour shift. “We perform our duty based on our seniors’ commands, providing security and convenience to travelers. People should be proud of their security personnel.” Referring to the risks and insecurity, Hilal adds, “There are individuals considered as threats. If we don’t do our job properly, something bad will happen, such as explosions, etc. This will lead the world to criticize us. We ask people to cooperate to secure themselves.”
The head of Kabul airport, Maulawi Abdul Hadi Mohammad, says, “The number of incoming travelers to Afghanistan was 29,172 last month alone, and the number of outgoing passengers was around 27,000. Over 15,000 people flew within the country and its provinces. Out of 18 daily flights, 4 are domestic.”
Currently, there are four airlines using Kabul International Airport: Ariana, Kamair, Mahan, and Kish, and according to Maulawi Abdul Hadi, another company named Taban will start its flights in the next few days.
The head of Kabul airport says, “The standards or principles of the security regulations, Alhamdulillah, have been implemented here since a year and a half. We did not have records of any incidents of smuggling, drugs, explosives, or any other illegal activities. The percentage of smuggling has dropped to zero. Our request is that the sanctions imposed on the government should not be imposed on the airports. This is civil aviation, used for health tourism, business, and other civil purposes.”