Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has suspended flights to Kabul International Airport (KBL) due to the “unprofessional” attitude of the Taliban.
“Our flights frequently faced undue delays because of the unprofessional attitude of the Kabul aviation authorities,” Abdullah Hafeez Khan, PIA spokesman, told AFP on October 14, 2021.
The news agency cited an airline source as saying Taliban officials were frequently “derogatory” and that they had “physically manhandled” a member of staff on one occasion.
PIA has been one of the few carriers to offer commercial flights to Afghanistan since the Taliban seized control of the country in August 2021. The Taliban had asked carriers to return on September 26, 2021, saying the airport was now fully operational.
The AFP report said PIA had been criticized for charging over $1,200 for a one-way flight from Kabul to Islamabad, compared with $150 previously. But the spokesman said despite high ticket prices, the flight was not lucrative.
“We would pay more than $400,000 as insurance premium which could only be possible if 300 passengers are available,” Khan said.