Direct Flights from Herat to Dubai Resume After Five-Year Suspension

Direct flights from Herat to Dubai have resumed after a five-year suspension.

Local officials in Herat say that one round-trip flight per week will now operate between Khwaja Abdullah Ansari International Airport and Dubai. On the first flight, 53 passengers departed Herat for Dubai.

Rahmatullah Khalil, Head of Finance and Administration at Khwaja Abdullah Ansari International Airport, said: “We plan to launch flights to other countries, including Turkey, in the future. We previously had flights to Tehran, and those flights will also resume.”

Some passengers say the resumption of direct flights has provided greater convenience and reduced their travel expenses.

Mohammad, a passenger, said: “Direct flights have reduced our expenses because previously we had to travel to Kabul first, wait there for several hours, and then take another flight, which cost us more.”

The resumption of direct flights from Herat to Dubai is also considered important for expanding commercial activities and providing greater convenience for traders and residents of western Afghanistan.

Nazir Ahmad Sadid, an economic analyst, said: “If we look at the launch of Herat–Dubai flights from an economic perspective, rather than just a travel perspective, it undoubtedly offers several advantages. On the one hand, it connects Herat’s economy with the national and international economies, and on the other, it reduces transportation costs for investors and expands investment opportunities in western Afghanistan and connections with the international community.”

The resumption of these flights has also been welcomed by Herat residents.

Some residents of the province are calling for more direct flights from Herat to neighboring and regional countries.

Abdul Rahim Tawassuli, a Herat resident, said: “I think Herat has the capacity for more flights and could operate flights to other countries. The current direct flights to Dubai are also a convenience.”

Ahmad Shah Yousufi, another Herat resident, said: “Today, people in Herat can travel directly to their destinations without paying additional expenses to travel to other provinces first.”

In addition to the weekly round-trip flight between Herat and Dubai, two domestic flights operate daily between Herat and Kabul.

Until three months ago, flights carrying Hajj pilgrims from Khwaja Abdullah Ansari International Airport to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, were also operating every few days.