Taliban government looking to overflight fees to enhance income
High above Kabul, Afghanistan’s cash-strapped
Taliban government has discovered a potentially lucrative revenue source: the
country’s airspace.
As missile exchanges between Israel and Iran
disrupted flight paths earlier this year, Afghan skies emerged as a safer and
faster alternative for airlines — for a flat $700 overflight fee, industry
insiders say.
The U.S. aviation authority eased restrictions
on Afghanistan’s airspace in 2023, two years after the Taliban seized power,
allowing commercial flights to resume overhead.
Airspace that had long been avoided due to
decades of conflict and political instability suddenly became viable, enabling
carriers to shorten routes and save on fuel costs.
But it wasn’t until the 12-day Iran-Israel war
in June that the route gained significant traction, offering the Taliban
government the chance to earn millions.
Read More Afghanistan
repairs another three aircraft to make them fit to fly
With Iranian and Iraqi airspace largely closed and Middle Eastern routes unpredictable, airlines diverted flights over Afghanistan.
“Flying over Afghanistan carries virtually
zero risk,” said Xavier Tytelman, a France-based aerospace and defense consultant.
“It’s like flying over the sea.”
Daily flights over Afghanistan jumped from
around 50 in May to nearly 280 after June 13, according to tracking site
Flightradar24. On many days since, more than 200 planes traverse Afghan
airspace — equivalent to roughly $4.2 million per month, though precise figures
are unclear as the authorities do not publish budgets and have declined to
comment.
Opaque Revenue Streams
While not a massive source of government
income, overflight fees provide a much-needed boost amid a humanitarian crisis
and war-battered economy. According to the UN, about 85% of Afghans live on
less than $1 a day, and nearly one in four young adults is unemployed.
The World Bank noted that overflight fees
contributed to modest economic growth in 2024, even before airlines
increasingly routed through Afghanistan to bypass Iran.
International carriers returned in 2023, with
Turkish Airlines, flydubai, and Air Arabia flying almost daily from Afghan
airports. Others, including Singapore Airlines, Air France, Aeroflot, Air
Canada, and Swiss Air, traverse Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif, or Kandahar airspace,
balancing practicality against lingering risks.
Tytelman cautioned that Afghanistan remains
challenging for emergency landings due to limited spare parts and fragile
healthcare infrastructure. Yet, he observed, “planes are landing in Kabul every
day.”
Airlines have been reluctant to detail
payments to the Taliban government, which remains isolated internationally in
part due to its restrictions on women. Afghan aviation authorities did not
respond to requests for comment on overflight fees or payment processes.
“Companies are not formally prohibited from
trading with Afghanistan, as U.S. sanctions target only certain Taliban
officials,” a World Bank expert told AFP on condition of anonymity. “But some
abstain out of fear of association with the ruling power.”
Industry insiders, also speaking anonymously,
said the $700 fees are typically routed through third-party intermediaries,
such as UAE-based GAAC Holding, which manages Afghan airports, or overflight
brokers. Some airlines may now pay directly as diplomatic ties with the Taliban
gradually develop.
Read More Afghanistan
to purchase two B737-800s
Strengthening Authority
To date, only Russia has formally recognized
the Taliban authorities, who face frozen assets, sanctions, and a fragile
banking sector.
Against these challenges, airspace revenue “is
helpful for the cash-strapped current administration,” said Sulaiman Bin Shah,
former deputy minister of industry and commerce under the ousted government.
But Bin Shah emphasized the significance goes
beyond money. Overflight activity helps normalize Taliban governance,
reinforcing their control over state functions and projecting the image of a
functioning administration, even without formal international recognition.
“So while the income itself is modest, it
plays a meaningful role in the government’s economic narrative and political
positioning,” he said.
Source: Reuters