Flights to Kabul are absolutely safe: AI

Air India moved in swiftly on Thursday to reassure travellers that its flights to Afghanistan were “absolutely safe”.

Air India moved in swiftly on Thursday to reassure travellers that its flights to Afghanistan were “absolutely safe”.

HT Image

“All procedures and safety requirements laid down by Directorate General of Civil Aviation are being complied with for the said (Kabul) operations. Air India flights to Kabul are absolutely safe,” the airline said in a statement.

This comes a day after HT reported on the threat by Air India pilots to stop operations to Kabul if the national carrier did not issue clear-cut guidelines for flying into Afghanistan as it directly affected the safety of crew and passengers.

Captain S. Sabu, general secretary, Indian Commercial Pilot’s Association (ICPA) — a union of pilots of the national carrier — had written to the management on the problems faced by pilots during flight operations to Kabul.

“I have not received the letter. Our general manager (Operations) has received it but I don’t think there is any problem as such. They (pilots) have raised a point...I don’t think we are flying in any unsafe zone,” Air India’s CMD Arvind Jadhav told PTI in Hyderabad.