KLM is currently avoiding the airspace of Afghanistan in response to developments in the Asian country. This means that flights to destinations such as Bangkok and Singapore will in any case not pass over Afghanistan. Passengers should take into account a slightly longer flight time.

After reporting by NH Nieuws, KLM confirmed that it puts the safety of passengers and employees first. It has now been decided not to allow the flights of August 15 to fly through Afghan airspace pending further developments, a spokeswoman said. KLM reviews and assesses the situation on a daily basis.

Various airlines, including Emirates and Air India, have announced that they will not fly to the Afghan capital Kabul for the time being. KLM has not yet flown to destinations in Afghanistan.

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soldiers in Kabul

Embassy

The Dutch embassy in Kabul has already been evacuated. A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that the embassy was moved to a location near the airport of the Afghan capital during the night from Saturday to Sunday. All personnel have left the embassy as the radical Islamist Taliban are about to take the city. Outgoing minister Ank Bijleveld (Defence) tells the NOS that the embassy staff is safe and continues to work from the new location.

uncertainty

For a long time it was unclear what the Netherlands would do with the embassy in Afghanistan. Other countries have already announced that they will leave their embassies, but the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has so far declined to say anything about it for security reasons. Outgoing minister Sigrid Kaag (Foreign Affairs) said on Friday that he wanted to keep the embassy open as long as possible. However, she acknowledged that it could not remain open once the Taliban took the Afghan capital.

Taliban fighters are said to have already reached the center of Kabul, although spokesmen for the movement themselves say the troops have not penetrated the city. It is unclear whether the power of the Afghan government has already been transferred, as the interior minister said earlier, or whether negotiations will continue in Qatar in the coming days as the Afghan defense minister says.

Also read: First signs of recovery visible at KLM

Sigrid Kaag
Sigrid Kaag
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