Airlines have rerouted flight paths to avoid airspace above Afghanistan

August 17, 2021

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This comes after the Taliban have taken control of Kabul. 

Major airlines like British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and others have decided to reroute flight paths to avoid Afghan airspace. This comes as a direct result of the Taliban taking control of Kabul, effectively taking control of the whole country. 

Airlines said that currently, the situation is just too uncertain and they fear that having a Western flight company in Afghan airspace might have severe consequences. 

Although it is not specifically mentioned which flights will be affected, it is understood that flights between the USA and India are most likely to be rerouted, leading to slightly longer flight times.

The Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority (ACAA) said Monday that it had released the national airspace to the military, and advised all transit aircraft to find new routes, Reuters reported.

In Kabul, people are living in extreme fear as the extremist group now governs over them. They managed to take the capital city in a matter of mere hours, with minimal casualties and shots being fired. The Taliban said that it planned to declare an Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the Associated Press reported, citing an unnamed Taliban official.

On social media, videos emerged showing hundreds of people at the airport in Kabul, trying to flee the country. This was, however, to no avail as the Taliban had already managed to ground flights and keep people abay.