Uncertainty surrounds the decision based on which Kabul-Delhi and Delhi-Kabul flights will be conducted by government-owned carriers in Afghanistan and India.
Afghanistan’s Civil Aviation Authority on Saturday said “the decision has been made by the government of India.”
But information on India’s Airports Economic Regulatory Authority website shows that no company in Afghanistan has been so far selected to conduct flights between the two neighboring countries.
The Afghan Civil Aviation Authority in a letter lately announced that the Kabul-Delhi and Delhi-Kabul flights will be conducted by Ariana Afghan Airlines starting from January.
Following the decision, the Civil Aviation Authority in a letter warned Kam Air, a private-owned Afghan company, to stop its flights to India.
“It was the Indian government’s decision to carry specific individuals under specific conditions by the two countries’ national carriers like Air India from India and Ariana from Afghanistan,” said Mohammad Qasim Wafaeezada, head of Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority.
“It has been decided that government-owned aviation companies conduct the flights between the two countries,” said Salim Rahimi, the deputy head of Ariana Afghan Airlines.
Kam Air officials meanwhile said the Indian government has allowed both companies—Ariana and Kam Air—to conduct flights between the two countries.
Kam Air called the decision “illegal” and said it will have economic damages to the company if implemented.
“Such decisions will inflict a big loss. Starting from January, both Ariana Airlines and Kam Air will have the permission of flights,” said Farid Paikar, the deputy head of Kam Air.
The association of supporting the aviation industry meanwhile said that monopolizing the services by the government will pose huge challenges to aviation companies in the country.
“We believe that such decisions are damaging. Both companies should be allowed to conduct the flights, otherwise, they will be bankrupted,” said Shah Mahmoud Habibi, head of the association.