Who wants to fly over Taliban-held Afghanistan? New FAA rules allow it, but planes largely avoid it

By JON GAMBRELL
Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Two years after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the United States has begun easing rules that could allow commercial airlines to fly over the country in routes that cuts time and fuel consumption for East-West travel. But those flights shortening routes for India and Southeast Asia raise questions never answered during the Taliban’s previous rule from the 1990s to the months after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Of particular concern internationally is the Taliban’s treatment of women. Before the takeover, each flight paid $700 to overfly the country. The Taliban insist they still get money for overflights, though an international trade association handling the payments say it hasn’t transacted them since the 2021 takeover.