Afghanistan airline Kam Air evacuates its passenger planes across border to Iran

Afghanistan’s main commercial airline has flown some of its fleet across the border to Iran in the wake of the Taliban’s return to power. Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation says that the country received an unspecified number of Kam Air planes after a request from the company. Desperate Afghans were pictured climbing onto the company’s planes during chaotic evacuation scenes in Kabul. “Following the escalation of clashes and tensions at Kabul airport, the owner of the private Afghan airline Kam Air requested the transfer of a number of the company’s airplanes to Iranian airports,” said CAO spokesperson Mohammad Hassan Zibakhsh. “Iran has also issued a landing permit for these planes in line with international cooperation standards with neighbouring countries.” None of the aircraft had any passengers onboard, said Zibakhsh. Kam Air was set up by businessman Zamaray Kamgar in 2003 and carried around one million passengers a year on its fleet of 12 Boeing and Airbus planes. <br/>