Ariana Afghan Airlines has doubled its dedicated cargo flights between Kabul and New Delhi from one to two daily services, saying the move is intended to facilitate trade and improve the transport of commercial goods between Afghanistan and India.
The state-owned airline announced the expansion on Saturday in a post on X, describing the additional flights as part of efforts to support Afghan traders and strengthen the country’s export and import supply chain.
Ariana said the increased schedule is designed to meet growing demand for air cargo services and provide faster transportation for Afghanistan commercial shipments, including fresh produce, dried fruits, carpets, saffron, pharmaceuticals and other goods traded with India.
India remains one of Afghanistan’s key regional trading partners, particularly for agricultural exports and essential imports. Since political changes in Afghanistan in 2021, air cargo has become an increasingly important route for maintaining commercial exchanges as overland trade has faced logistical and security challenges.
The airline said expanding cargo services forms part of its broader strategy to contribute to Afghanistan’s economic development by improving connectivity with regional markets and supporting private-sector commerce.
Afghanistan and India have continued trade through humanitarian and commercial channels despite the absence of formal diplomatic recognition of the Taliban government by New Delhi. Indian authorities have maintained limited engagement with Kabul, while trade in agricultural products, medicines and consumer goods has continued through air and land corridors.
Ariana said it plans to further expand its air cargo network in the future to improve logistics services and facilitate exports and imports with additional regional destinations.
