Afghanistan's Kam Air Sends Passenger Planes to Iran Amid Kabul Chaos

Afghanistan’s privately-owned Kam Air has sent several of its planes to neighboring Iran with no passengers aboard, an Iranian official said on Thursday, to keep them safe amid the chaos of evacuations at Kabul airport. “The owners of Afghanistan’s Kam Air requested to move a number of their passenger planes to Iranian airports following the intensified fights and tensions in Kabul airport,” state media quoted Civil Aviation Organisation spokesman Mohammad Hassan Zibakhsh as saying. Zibakhsh said Tehran had issued a landing permit for these planes “in line with its goals of interaction with neighboring countries”.

The United States and allies are hurrying to evacuate thousands of foreigners and Afghans who helped Western countries during the 20-year war against the Taliban before an Aug. 31 deadline, amid growing security fears at Kabul airport. The Taliban took control in Kabul on Aug. 15. Kam Air, which was founded in 2003 by Afghan businessman Zamaray Kamgar, operates a fleet of Boeing 737 and 767 and Airbus A340 jets, according to its website. - Reuters