Struggling Taliban seek financial gain from the skies via airspace exploitation
In a surprising turn of events, Afghanistan's airspace, long avoided due to four decades of war and shifting powerbrokers, has become a viable option for commercial carriers. This shift in usage can be traced back to the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June 2023, which caused a disarray in the Middle East, leading to the shuttering of airspace over Iran and Iraq.
As a result, airlines have been forced to divert their courses and utilise Afghanistan's airspace. The number of planes using this airspace has skyrocketed dramatically, with more than 200 planes traversing Afghanistan's skies daily, equivalent to roughly $4.2 million a month. This figure, however, is difficult to verify as the authorities do not publish budgets and have declined to comment.
The increased use of Afghanistan's airspace allows carriers to abbreviate routes and save on fuel costs. Xavier Tytelman, a notable figure in the aviation industry, has compared the risk of flying over Afghanistan to flying over the sea, stating that the risk is virtually zero.
The Taliban government has located a potential revenue stream in Afghanistan's airspace. Commercial flights can pay a flat $700 overflight fee to use this airspace, according to industry insiders. While it's unclear how much revenue the Taliban government has generated from overflight fees since June 2023, the potential is there for millions to be earned.
It's important to note that since June 2021, most international airlines and countries have avoided regular flights over Afghan airspace due to security concerns and the Taliban takeover. There are no publicly confirmed reports of airlines or countries regularly flying through it, nor evidence that the Taliban government has generated significant revenue from overflight fees since then.
The increase in the use of Afghanistan's airspace is also due to the unpredictable openings and closures across the Middle East. The comparison of flying over Afghanistan to flying over the sea was made by Xavier Tytelman, highlighting the growing acceptance and importance of Afghanistan's airspace in the global aviation industry.
This change in the use of Afghanistan's airspace was made possible by the US aviation authority easing restrictions on Afghanistan's airspace and allowing commercial flyovers in 2023. The Taliban government, with this potential revenue stream, may potentially earn millions from the increased use of Afghanistan's airspace.
