
Around 100 passengers have arrived in Doha after flying from Kabul airport, the first flight ferrying out foreigners since a US-led evacuation ended.
Doha, a major transit point for Afghan refugees, has said it worked with Turkey to swiftly resume operations at Kabul’s airport to allow the flow of people and aid.
According Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Jamjoom who reported from Doha’s Airport, said there are about 113 passengers on board.
He explained that The nationalities on board were comprised of Canadians, Americans, Ukrainians, Germans, British citizens and others adding that After they clear customs documentation, they will be taken temporarily to a compound in Doha, housing Afghan evacuees and Afghan refugees.”
Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani praised the Taliban for allowing the flight.
Earlier on Thursday, Mutlaq al-Qahtani, Qatar’s special envoy to Afghanistan called the development a “historic day” for the airport.
Qatari officials earlier said that Afghanistan’s Taliban government would allow between 100 and 150 Westerners, including Americans, to fly out from Kabul in the coming hours.
Qatari and Turkish technical teams have helped restore operations at the airport, which was damaged during the chaotic evacuations of tens of thousands of people to meet the US troop withdrawal deadline of August 31.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid thanked Qatar for its assistance in making the airport operational and for humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.