Air India, Spcejet suspend services to Kabul after terrorist attacks

With the threat of militant attacks on Kabul airport continuing, flights of Air India and SpiceJet to Afghanistan have been disrupted in view of the security situation.

While the no-frill carrier temporarily suspended its Kabul operations, Air India cancelled its flights on Thursday and Friday, keeping the one scheduled for July 19 on a stand-by.

Suspected Taliban militants had carried out a pre-dawn rocket attack on Kabul International Airport yesterday, temporarily shutting down the facility and setting off a gunbattle with security forces in which four attackers were killed.

On July 3, about 100 people on board a SpiceJet aircraft from Kabul to Delhi escaped a rocket attack just when the flight was getting ready to take off.

The attack was actually aimed at the military airbase at the Kabul airport.

In a statement, SpiceJet said "in view of the security situation in Kabul and its airport, SpiceJet has decided to temporarily suspend its Kabul flights until the situation improves." "In view of these incidents, we have decided to take this step as the safety of our passengers and crew is of paramount importance to us," it said.

An Air India official said it had kept tomorrow's flight on a stand-by and would operate it only after analysing the situation.

Its services today and yesterday were cancelled.

Air India operates six flights each week, SpiceJet flies on three days to Kabul. Meanwhile, security measures have been strengthened at the Kabul Airport on Thursday, including heightened surveillance and patrolling, frequent mock exercises and screening of passengers and visitors.