Etihad to begin direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Kabul

ISLAMABAD (AP): Abu Dhabi-based airline Etihad announced on Friday that it will start direct flights to Kabul, becoming the latest international carrier to operate routes to Afghanistan's capital.

The airline said the new service, set to begin in December with three weekly flights, aims to meet "growing demand" for travel between the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan while boosting "trade, travel, and community ties."

Etihad, which posted a record profit of $476 million in 2024, said around 300,000 Afghans currently live and work in the UAE - one of the Gulf's largest Afghan communities. The new connection, it added, will strengthen economic and social relations and enhance Abu Dhabi's regional connectivity.

Turkish Airlines and FlyDubai already operate direct flights to Kabul.

The UAE has deepened its relationship with Afghanistan's Taliban-led government in recent years. In June 2024, Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with senior Taliban leader Sirajuddin Haqqani, who remains on a U.S. wanted list for deadly attacks. Later that year, the UAE formally accepted a Taliban-appointed ambassador.

Despite ongoing Western isolation over the Taliban's restrictions on women and girls, the regime has expanded ties with regional powers. Russia became the first nation to recognize the Taliban government in July, while India announced Friday that it would upgrade its technical mission in Kabul to a full embassy.