Afghanistan’s Taliban tap Swiss, other travellers for flyover fees

Flying over Afghanistan is a unique undertaking: the various crews in the airspace must keep each other informed of their positions. (File photo) Julian Stratenschulte / Keystone

The Taliban are experiencing a windfall by collecting fees from passengers flying over Afghanistan. The move is bringing in tens of millions of dollars, including from Swiss travellers, without providing any service in return.

Adapted routes

Many more aircraft are currently flying over Afghanistan than before the Iran war. It is estimated that there are almost 2,000 flights per week. That is around five times more transits than a year ago. The Taliban collect a fee of $700 (CHF548) per aircraft. This is generating revenue of around $1.4 million per week, which adds up to just over $70 million a year – a lot of money for a country that hardly does anything for flight safety.

No choice

The airlines have practically no alternative but to fly over Afghanistan, even though the country itself has long been considered dangerous. The corridor for flights from Europe to Asia is limited. In the north, flight space is restricted by the war in Ukraine and in the south by fighting in the Middle East. The adjustment of routes was necessary. Airlines are increasingly flying over Afghanistan on the one hand and Saudi Arabia on the other.

Normal overflight fees

It is common for a country to charge money to use its airspace. These are part of route charges and landing fees, and are usually based on the distance travelled and the weight of the aircraft at take-off. In Europe, the charges are levied centrally by the Eurocontrol organisation and then distributed among the national air safety organisations, such as Skyguide in Switzerland. Skyguide received CHF623 million from this revenue last year. The money is needed for operations such as monitoring airspace.

Flat rate since 2017

Unlike in Europe, the Taliban charge a flat rate. The fee is not based on weight of the aircraft and distance covered but per aircraft. The fee was introduced in 2017. Flights have also increased over Saudi Arabia. The Saudi authorities calculate the fee according to weight and distance. The average fee per flight is around $800.

Fees without service

The fact that Afghanistan charges high fees for transit is grating because the country has no functioning air traffic control. In Afghan airspace, pilots have to look out for themselves and actively inform each other about altitude, position and speed, the SonntagsZeitung newspaper writes. Planned flights must be registered in advance by email with the Afghan authorities, who will then also collect the fee. The overflight altitude is usually just under 10,000m. This means that the aircraft are out of the range of projectiles fired from shoulder-mounted rocket launchers.

A Turkish Airlines aircraft at Kabul International Airport in the Afghan capital on May 21, 2024, after the airline resumed its flights to Afghanistan following a hiatus of almost three years. Samiullah Popal / Keystone

Connections cancelled

The airlines have not only had to adjust their routes, but also to cancel some of them.

“We are still cancelling our flights to Dubai and Tel Aviv,” writes SWISS. Tui Suisse, Switzerland’s largest tour operator, has also reduced its offering.

“We have currently cancelled all trips to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia up to and including April 28,” the company writes. “We are currently seeing demand for summer and autumn shifting towards the west, with Spain (Balearic Islands, Canary Islands) and the Caribbean (Dominican Republic and Mexico) attracting greater interest.”

Direct flights more expensive than stopovers

The choice of flight route is not only a challenge for the airlines but also for passengers. They are spoilt for choice. Direct flights to Asia are sometimes twice as expensive as flights with a stopover in the Gulf states. The price gap has widened. The three airlines Emirates from Dubai, Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi and Qatar Airways from Qatar are tempting passengers with very low prices. However, stopovers at the airports of Doha or Dubai are associated with risks for summer travellers and depend on the course of the war.

Adapted from German by AI/ac

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