Mohammad Qasim Wafayezada, Head of Afghan Civil Aviation Authority (ACAA), said that with new tensions in the region, the number of flights passing through Afghanistan has increased by 25%.
Following the rise of the regional tensions, the International Civilian Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on Afghanistan and several other countries in the region to accept more cross-border flights, and contribute to enhancing international flights.
Mr. Wafayezada added that the Afghan Aviation Agency is now effectively accepting airline flights from around the world that had been diverted due to security problems in Iran and the Persian Gulf.
Reports say that, on average, more than five flights crossing the Afghan airspace, reaching more than 6,000 flights annually, generating a total sum of over $5 million in transit flights.
Afghanistan has attributed to increasing flights by signing of a €2m contract for the installation of an independent radar project with the French company Thales.
Upon completion of the ongoing project, the Afghan Civil Aviation Authority’s annual revenue will increase from $2 to $5 million annually, the agency added. This will not only generate more revenue but also will open a new window of opportunity for the ACAA to play a prominent role in international flights in the region.
Following the assassination of General Suleimani and the rocket launch of US bases in Iraq, several countries in the region stopped flying over Iran and Iraq due to security issues.
