AFP11/09/2003By [Printer Friendly Version]
KABUL - Afghanistan's first private airline, KamAir, has launched operations with a domestic flight linking Kabul with northern provincial capital Mazar-i-Sharif and the main western city of Herat, official media reported.
"KamAir Airlines started operation with two Boeing 727 jets on domestic flights between Kabul and Herat province," Bakhtar news agency said on Saturday.
The company will add two more Australian-made Nomad N24 planes in coming weeks, the report said. N24s are small turbo-prop planes similar to the Twin Otter.
KamAir, set up with a three million dollar investment by Afghan businessmen, plans to add international flights in the near future. It hopes to initially offer three flights a week to the United Arab Emirates, the report said.
National flag carrier Ariana Afghan Airlines, the only other airline operating commercial domestic flights in Afghanistan, Friday relaunched flights between Kabul and the main southern city of Kandahar.
Ariana currently operates a fleet of three Airbus A300/B4 aircraft donated by India, four Boeing 727-200 planes and one Antonov 24.
The aircraft serve domestic and international routes, including to Pakistan, India, the Gulf, Tehran, Istanbul, Moscow and Frankfurt.