Qatar Deputy PM Al Thani sees 'no clear indication' of resuming flights to Afghanistan

Qatar Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani informed, on Thursday, that there is no clear indication on when flights to Afghanistan will resume. Following their Afghan exit, the USA had handed over operations of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul to the Taliban. 

Kabul airport key for humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan: UN

With the Kabul airport now under the control of Taliban terrorists, Al Thani warned on Thursday that there is still "no clear indication" of when it would reopen. On Wednesday, a team of Qatari and Turkish specialists flew to Kabul to assist with the resumption of operations at the facility, which the United Nations says is critical in supplying humanitarian aid to the country. However, it is unclear whether any commercial airlines will be prepared to provide service.

"We remain hopeful we will be able to operate it as soon as possible. We are still in the evaluation process. We are working very hard and engaging with the Taliban to identify what are the gaps and the risks for having the airport back up and running," Al Thani told reporters in Doha. The Qatari deputy minister also said that Turkey was involved in discussions about reopening the airport and that he hoped Ankara could provide technical assistance.

Turkey said, on Thursday, that it was looking at ways to reopen the airport, with the country's foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, adding that security "inside and outside" the facilities remained a paramount priority, according to CNA. Military flights, which might be used to evacuate more people, could resume first, according to Mevlut Cavusoglu. Qatar said it is still in talks with other international powers to allow commercial flights to resume at the capital's airport.

Western officials visit Qatar to discuss reopening Kabul airport

According to CNA, a number of Western officials, including the German, Dutch, and British foreign ministers, have visited Qatar this week to discuss the reopening of Hamid Karzai International Airport. On Sunday, Italy's foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is expected to visit Doha. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said, on Thursday, that his country had evacuated 17,000 British and Afghan nationals since April.

(With inputs from AP News, Image- AP)