US citizens on first Qatar Airways flight from Kabul since pullout
Qatar’s special envoy to Afghanistan said the Hamid Karzai International Airport is “fully up and running” and that another passenger flight will depart on Friday.
Qatar Airways flew Americans and other foreigners on the first commercial flight out of Kabul’s international airport since US forces withdrew at the end of August.
Mutlaq al-Qahtani, Qatar’s special envoy to Afghanistan, said Thursday the Hamid Karzai International Airport is “fully up and running” and that another flight is set to take off on Friday.
“Call it what you want, a charter or a commercial flight, everyone has tickets and boarding passes,” al-Qahtani said of the first flight. “Hopefully, life is becoming normal in Afghanistan.”
The White House confirmed on Thursday that US citizens and legal permanent residents were on the chartered Qatar Airways flight and thanked Doha for its role in facilitating operations at the airport.
