Flight with civilians onboard leaves Kabul, signalling airport is back in action

The first international commercial flight since the end of the chaotic Western airlift from Afghanistan last month departed from Kabul airport on Thursday, Qatar’s foreign minister said.

A large group of foreigners were aboard the Doha-bound flight, Al Jazeera television reported. The Qatar Airways plane had arrived in Kabul earlier on Thursday carrying aid, it said.

Although international flights have gone in and out with officials, technicians and aid, this was the first such civilian flight since the evacuation which followed the Taliban’s seizure of the capital on Aug. 15 as foreign military forces pulled out.