Chaos at Kabul Airport (KBL/OAKB) after president Biden withdraws US and NATO troops

[sn26567]

One fully-loaded C-130 came back from Kabul to Islamabad.

A second Belgian C-130 was able to land at Kabul today and is now back in Islamabad. Together, those two C-130s carried 170 persons to safety, among which many Dutch and Belgian nationals.

... and after three rotations today, 248 evacuees out of Kaboul, among which 91 Belgians. The 4th rotation had to be cancelled due to the lack of necessary authorisations.

34 other Belgians were evacuated by a Dutch plane to Schiphol and then bussed to Peutie for a medical examination and immigration formalities.

[sn26567]

An Air Belgium A340-300 OO-ABA is now en route to Islamabad to bring some 250 evacuees from Afghanistan to Europe. Expected to be in back in Brussels tomorrow morning, together with the multinational A330MRTT T-055.



U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III has ordered six commercial airlines to provide passenger jets to help with the growing U.S. military operation evacuating Americans and Afghan allies from Kabul, the Afghan capital, the Pentagon said on Sunday.

https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/the- ... ghanistan/

[sn26567]

Four Belgian C-130 rotations between Islamabad and Kabul this Sunday. 175 people evacuated among which 136 Belgians, but also many Dutch and one US diplomat.

Some 400 evacuees will leave ISB to BRU tonight with the Air Belgium A340 and the multinational A330MRTT mentioned in my previous message.

[sn26567]

All evacuations should be completed by 31 August. The Taliban just declared that they will not extend the deadline.

First results of Operation Red Kite from Belgian Defence:

https://www.aviation24.be/military-airc ... -brussels/

[Passenger]

CT-01 (A400M) is almost home in BRU (Melsbroek) now, coming from Larnaca as BAF-640.

CT-02 (A400M) now flying east, away from Larnaca, as BAF-654.

[Passenger]

An Air Belgium A340-300 OO-ABA is now en route to Islamabad to bring some 250 evacuees from Afghanistan to Europe. Expected to be in back in Brussels tomorrow morning, together with the multinational A330MRTT T-055.



U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III has ordered six commercial airlines to provide passenger jets to help with the growing U.S. military operation evacuating Americans and Afghan allies from Kabul, the Afghan capital, the Pentagon said on Sunday.

https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/the- ... ghanistan/

OO-ABA Islamabad-Brussels (the A343 has just taxied to / parked at Melsbroek):
https://www.flightradar24.com/ABB8051/28e6fc5f

[sn26567]

Repatriation rates accelerate before the deadline of 31 August. This morning at BRU there were 198 pax in the A330 MRTT and 272 pax in the Air Belgium A343.

[sn26567]

At the request of the U.S., Belgium will stop evacuations from Kabul on Friday. Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder said it was likely that no rotations between Kabul and Islamabad would be carried out on Friday.

EDIT: Belgium stops evacuation flights from Kabul with immediate effect. Five rotations to Islamabad were carried out this Wednesday.

[Passenger]

OO-ABA Islamabad-Brussels, now near Vienna:
https://www.flightradar24.com/ABB8051/28ea135c

[Homo Aeroportus]

A Boeing C-17 left Kabul for Qatar with a full load of passengers on Sunday 15AUG.

It had been initially reported they had carried 640 passengers but this has now been corrected to be 823 in total as 183 children had not been accounted for.

Now how does this compare with the Sabena evacuation flight out of Leo’ in 1960?
Capt Jaspis accepted passengers to board his B707 even if most did not have a seat and actually stopped counting them coming on board. It is on arrival in Zaventem that the number was set at 303 passengers including children.

I’d say that “Poupa” wins and that without seats obstructing the floor he would have done even better.


And they flew all the way back to Belgium.

H.A.

[sn26567]

Kam Air (the long-haul airline of Afghanistan) has sent some of its planes across the border to Iran for safe-keeping, amid the political turmoil surrounding the Taliban’s takeover of the country.

[sn26567]

Pakistan International Airlines passenger plane from Islamabad touched down in Kabul, marking the first flight to land in Afghanistan from neighbouring Pakistan since the final withdrawal of US troops.

https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/paki ... e-taliban/

[globetrotter]

A Qantas 787 operated Darwin-Islamabad charter on 16 Sep, to pick up Australian nationals, a second flight will be on 22 Sep, from Sydney.

[sn26567]

Kam Air of Afghanistan to operate flights from Islamabad to Kabul, having been given approval from the Pakistan CAA.

Afghanistan’s Taliban government appealed for international flights to be resumed, promising full cooperation with airlines and saying that problems at Kabul airport had been resolved.

[sn26567]

Pakistan International Airlines suspended flights to Kabul, after what it called heavy-handed interference by Taliban authorities, including arbitrary rule changes and intimidation of staff.

[sn26567]

Ariana Afghan Airlines begins regular flights from Kabul to Dubai, reopening a heavily used international route.