Kabul Falls: Evacuation Charter Watch Thread

FlyingElvii · Sun Aug 15, 2021 12:51 pm

SKY News just stated that Governments are chartering aircraft from all around the globe to evacuate 10’s of thousands from Afghanistan after the government surrendered this morning. Bag ram is now under Taliban control.

Thousands of refugees are fleeing to embassies, and the Kabul Airport, with a massive helicopter airlift transfer from the embassies to the airport is currently in progress.

This thread is to follow those commercial charters.

SKY NEWS Live coverage:
https://youtu.be/9Auq9mYxFEE

FlyingElvii · Sun Aug 15, 2021 12:57 pm

As of right now, Flight radar 24 is showing several aircraft on the ground in Kabul.
Air India 244 has just departed Kabul for Delhi.
KAM Air only seems to be operating outbound.

FlyingElvii · Sun Aug 15, 2021 1:23 pm

From Twitter:
So many indian plane are arriving and departing from kabul
And also they are using pak airspace

https://twitter.com/PramodS15855937/sta ... 8851268615

9MMPQ · Sun Aug 15, 2021 1:29 pm

I can't imagine any commercial charter operation will last very long. The Afghan government seems about ready to hand over control of Kabul to the Taliban who are already in a few parts of the city. Doubt insurers would cover commercial operations in such uncertain security circumstances unless governments would take that up.

But looking on FR24 now a 767-224ER has left Kabul, FR24 can't identify it but maybe Omni Air for the U.S. military ?

https://www.flightradar24.com/B762/28cae64a

Dutchy · Sun Aug 15, 2021 1:31 pm

Kam Air A343 has been circling for a while: RQ916

FlyingElvii · Sun Aug 15, 2021 1:32 pm

Dutchy wrote:
Kam Air A343 has been circling for a while: RQ916

PIA operating as flight 6252 just left Kabul.

crownvic · Sun Aug 15, 2021 1:44 pm

I was criticized just one week ago on youtube by viewers of Dmytro Antonov's videos of ADB's s 124 service weekly in and out of Kabul stating the risk is getting higher and higher with Taliban so close and wonder if and when they will pull the plug on the contracts. I was told by a viewer (not Dmytro) "all was fine and they were ex military pilots flying ex military planes and know what they are doing and the Taliban is nowhere near Kabul"... Great answer if your making a war movie....Looks like I was right..

migair54 · Sun Aug 15, 2021 2:03 pm

FlyingElvii wrote:
As of right now, Flight radar 24 is showing several aircraft on the ground in Kabul.
Air India 244 has just departed Kabul for Delhi.
KAM Air only seems to be operating outbound.

Some of them looks like helicopters or drones, they have some weird flight paths over the city at low altitude.

Some flights turn around and went back to departure point.

I think we won't see many flights in or out of Kabul for a few days.

9MMPQ wrote:
But looking on FR24 now a 767-224ER has left Kabul, FR24 can't identify it but maybe Omni Air for the U.S. military ?

It looks like an evacuation flight, no reg, no flight nunber, all blocked. it flew from SOF to KBL, I guess it's going back to there.

I am surprised that airlines are still overflying Afghan airspace, I though that for safety it would be better to avoid until further notice, confusion on ground is not good... remember Ukraine.

James42 · Sun Aug 15, 2021 2:15 pm

Interesting to see an SQ A350 from JFK about to overfly Kabul. I would have thought for sure they would avoid Afghan airspace.

peterinlisbon · Sun Aug 15, 2021 2:44 pm

An aircraft with Transponder Code FOLAD43 took off from Kabul and flew directly north into Tajikistan. Simultaneously, BBC news is reporting that the President Ashraf Ghani has fled the country to Tajikistan. I think that's probably his ride.

migair54 · Sun Aug 15, 2021 2:47 pm

James42 wrote:
Interesting to see an SQ A350 from JFK about to overfly Kabul. I would have thought for sure they would avoid Afghan airspace.

Actually is just the first of many, some are just miles behind, SQ323, SQ327, SQ345, SQ25, SQ335, CI62, CI74, LX176, AI162, VN505, and some more behind.

Let's see what UA801 does, EWR to DEL.

The problem is that they seem to avoid Iran also, so with that in mind and the Himalayas it's not easy to go around Afghan airspace after airborne, and also Chinese are not well known for the flexibility and helpfulness, specially in Covid times, but I guess from tomorrow we could see many more going via Egypt and the middle east or via the north over China, depend on the destination.

ben7x · Sun Aug 15, 2021 2:50 pm

Germany evacuates via Uzbekistan. They fly the A400M from Kabul to Tashkent and from there with chartered planes.

contractdog · Sun Aug 15, 2021 2:56 pm

peterinlisbon wrote:
An aircraft with Transponder Code FOLAD43 took off from Kabul and flew directly north into Tajikistan. Simultaneously, BBC news is reporting that the President Ashraf Ghani has fled the country to Tajikistan. I think that's probably his ride.

FOLAD was often the Afghan Airforce Cessna 208s. The data on FR24 seems to confirm its a 208. Doubt he would use a 208 to evac, although maybe it was his only choice.

Wonder if the airforce won't try move more of its aircraft across to Tajikistan while they still can?

peterinlisbon · Sun Aug 15, 2021 3:00 pm

James42 wrote:
Interesting to see an SQ A350 from JFK about to overfly Kabul. I would have thought for sure they would avoid Afghan airspace.

In the past couple of days I've seen a lot of flights from India and Singapore to Europe (British Airways, Singapore Airlines etc) flying right over places like Herat which have fallen to the Taliban. Even today I saw a United Airlines flight from Delhi to New York right over Kabul whilst the US embassy below was burning its documents and ferrying people out to the airport in helicopters. Not somewhere you'd want to land in an emergency, but I guess its no less dangerous than being over the ocean.

Right now, as the Taliban take over Kabul and the president flees there are Swissair, Singapore Airways, Air India and Vietnam Airways planes in the sky over Afghanistan.

I wonder who's controlling these flights - I suppose Afghan ATC in Kabul. But for how long that will last, I don't know.

peterinlisbon · Sun Aug 15, 2021 3:02 pm

contractdog wrote:
peterinlisbon wrote:
An aircraft with Transponder Code FOLAD43 took off from Kabul and flew directly north into Tajikistan. Simultaneously, BBC news is reporting that the President Ashraf Ghani has fled the country to Tajikistan. I think that's probably his ride.

FOLAD was often the Afghan Airforce Cessna 208s. The data on FR24 seems to confirm its a 208. Doubt he would use a 208 to evac, although maybe it was his only choice.

Wonder if the airforce won't try move more of its aircraft across to Tajikistan while they still can?

You're right, it's probably not the President, I saw a video on the BBC showing him boarding a Kam Air 737. Someone with money, maybe, or connections.

migair54 · Sun Aug 15, 2021 3:09 pm

peterinlisbon wrote:
contractdog wrote:
peterinlisbon wrote:
An aircraft with Transponder Code FOLAD43 took off from Kabul and flew directly north into Tajikistan. Simultaneously, BBC news is reporting that the President Ashraf Ghani has fled the country to Tajikistan. I think that's probably his ride.

FOLAD was often the Afghan Airforce Cessna 208s. The data on FR24 seems to confirm its a 208. Doubt he would use a 208 to evac, although maybe it was his only choice.

Wonder if the airforce won't try move more of its aircraft across to Tajikistan while they still can?

You're right, it's probably not the President, I saw a video on the BBC showing him boarding a Kam Air 737. Someone with money, maybe, or connections.

KAM air B737 about to depart to Islamabad, maybe it's that one.

bobd6 · Sun Aug 15, 2021 3:40 pm

Sky news just reporting BA has told pilots to avoid Afghan airspace

OA260 · Sun Aug 15, 2021 3:41 pm

BA have ordered its pilots to avoid Afghan airspace

FlyingElvii · Sun Aug 15, 2021 3:46 pm

peterinlisbon wrote:
contractdog wrote:
peterinlisbon wrote:
An aircraft with Transponder Code FOLAD43 took off from Kabul and flew directly north into Tajikistan. Simultaneously, BBC news is reporting that the President Ashraf Ghani has fled the country to Tajikistan. I think that's probably his ride.

FOLAD was often the Afghan Airforce Cessna 208s. The data on FR24 seems to confirm its a 208. Doubt he would use a 208 to evac, although maybe it was his only choice.

Wonder if the airforce won't try move more of its aircraft across to Tajikistan while they still can?

You're right, it's probably not the President, I saw a video on the BBC showing him boarding a Kam Air 737. Someone with money, maybe, or connections.

Or an afghan pilot trying to get his family out. That was often the case in Vietnam, at the end.

RoyalBrunei757 · Sun Aug 15, 2021 3:48 pm

God speed for everyone. Hope everyone get out safe and sound.......

Flanker7 · Sun Aug 15, 2021 3:51 pm

KLM for at least today is avoiding Afghan aerospace. Wonder if other carriers will do the same.

FlyingElvii · Sun Aug 15, 2021 3:56 pm

Consider this as uncomfirmed until I find a better source.
"The US military, which still controls Kabul airport, has closed it to all civilian flights, so it can evacuate its diplomats, and senior Afghan officials."
https://twitter.com/TollytB/status/1426932605774176257

contractdog · Sun Aug 15, 2021 4:03 pm

9MMPQ wrote:
I can't imagine any commercial charter operation will last very long. The Afghan government seems about ready to hand over control of Kabul to the Taliban who are already in a few parts of the city. Doubt insurers would cover commercial operations in such uncertain security circumstances unless governments would take that up.

But looking on FR24 now a 767-224ER has left Kabul, FR24 can't identify it but maybe Omni Air for the U.S. military ?

https://www.flightradar24.com/B762/28cae64a

Yep Omni Air.... N225AX Sofia - Kabul - Sofia

FlyingElvii · Sun Aug 15, 2021 4:10 pm

"US evacuation of its nationals from Kabul now described as frenzied. Reports of gunfire at the airport."
https://twitter.com/afneil/status/1426931927508992020

FlyingElvii · Sun Aug 15, 2021 4:24 pm

It seems we have reached the "Saigon" part of the evacuation now.
"Afghan cessna-172 in Tajikistan from Kabul , atleast 2 more on Airport"

https://twitter.com/MaverickBharat/stat ... 36/photo/1

contractdog · Sun Aug 15, 2021 4:26 pm

FlyingElvii wrote:
It seems we have reached the "Saigon" part of the evacuation now.
"Afghan cessna-172 in Tajikistan from Kabul , atleast 2 more on Airport"

https://twitter.com/MaverickBharat/stat ... 36/photo/1

Those are C208's not C172s...

32andBelow · Sun Aug 15, 2021 4:34 pm

Does taliban even have any anti aircraft weapons that could reach an airliner in cruise?

Revelation · Sun Aug 15, 2021 4:40 pm

RoyalBrunei757 wrote:
God speed for everyone. Hope everyone get out safe and sound.......

I agree, but as a friend likes to remind me, "hope is not a plan".

32andBelow wrote:
Does taliban even have any anti aircraft weapons that could reach an airliner in cruise?

Depends on what they have captured too. Seems they are flying Russian and Western helicopters using pilots they've "convinced" to switch sides. Wouldn't be too hard to see the same happening with AtoA missile batteries.

FlyingElvii · Sun Aug 15, 2021 4:48 pm

"Whoa... last helo transmitting was grounded near the airstrip and now nobody is transmitting....
Not a good sign."
https://twitter.com/WarrenPlatts/status ... 8246517766

DLASFlyer · Sun Aug 15, 2021 4:56 pm

32andBelow wrote:
Does taliban even have any anti aircraft weapons that could reach an airliner in cruise?

They do now!

miegapele · Sun Aug 15, 2021 4:57 pm

Lufthansa 772 to Bangkok is flying over Iran instead of usual Turkmenistan. Probably will avoid Afghanistan airspace. Singapore is still flying as usual. Few hi fly planes also looks to be flying towards Kabul

FlyingElvii · Sun Aug 15, 2021 5:00 pm

"Thousands of people are at the airport. One commercial flight is there but unable to leave. Those with tickets couldn't board. It was stormed by everyone passport no passport ticket no ticket."
https://twitter.com/SSamiraSR/status/14 ... 2497232901

Spacepope · Sun Aug 15, 2021 5:07 pm

32andBelow wrote:
Does taliban even have any anti aircraft weapons that could reach an airliner in cruise?

In cruise? Absolutely not.

There may be some Chinese MANPADS floating around there but it takes a dedicated SAM system to hit anything above 15,000 feet.

32andBelow · Sun Aug 15, 2021 5:31 pm

DLASFlyer wrote:
32andBelow wrote:
Does taliban even have any anti aircraft weapons that could reach an airliner in cruise?

They do now!

The US left mainly junk behind. I doubt we left any working AA systems

AirPacific747 · Sun Aug 15, 2021 5:52 pm

FlyingElvii wrote:
Consider this as uncomfirmed until I find a better source.
"The US military, which still controls Kabul airport, has closed it to all civilian flights, so it can evacuate its diplomats, and senior Afghan officials."
https://twitter.com/TollytB/status/1426932605774176257

Then F all its allies which were given almost no prior notice :roll:

FluidFlow · Sun Aug 15, 2021 5:54 pm

I do not see any danger to civil avistion. It was safe to overfly afghani airspace before the invasion and it will be no problem after. The Taliban are no terrorists. Their goal is and was to control afghanistan. They may have tolerated Al Quaida and then got scapegoated for a Saudi-led Al Quaida attack but for the last 20 years their only goal was to get Afghanistan back and they achieved that without any attacks outside Afghanistan. So why jeopardise the win over the USA by attacking civil aircraft?

32andBelow · Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:13 pm

Apparently there’s b52s flying right now to take care of all the bases the Afghan army surrendered.

IceCream · Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:21 pm

James42 wrote:
Interesting to see an SQ A350 from JFK about to overfly Kabul. I would have thought for sure they would avoid Afghan airspace.

I saw LX on the way to HKG over Kabul as well.

tys777 · Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:30 pm

Gentle reminding. When quoting a news story etc...please post a link to the source.

SonomaFlyer · Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:36 pm

FluidFlow wrote:
I do not see any danger to civil avistion. It was safe to overfly afghani airspace before the invasion and it will be no problem after. The Taliban are no terrorists. Their goal is and was to control afghanistan. They may have tolerated Al Quaida and then got scapegoated for a Saudi-led Al Quaida attack but for the last 20 years their only goal was to get Afghanistan back and they achieved that without any attacks outside Afghanistan. So why jeopardise the win over the USA by attacking civil aircraft?

Part of the problem is command and control is dodgy with the Taliban. On top of that, the Taliban now have access to all of the weapons caches which was controlled by the Afghan central govt. It will take some time for the Taliban to normalize command and control. Until then, its up to individuals to exercise some self control and leave the airport alone.

sasd209 · Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:36 pm

State dept bugging out..

https://www.flightradar24.com/28cbdd5a

btfarrwm · Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:39 pm

On FR24, HiFly has two Airbus widebodies in Afghan airspace with no destination listed.

Aesma · Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:42 pm

Revelation wrote:
RoyalBrunei757 wrote:
God speed for everyone. Hope everyone get out safe and sound.......

I agree, but as a friend likes to remind me, "hope is not a plan".

32andBelow wrote:
Does taliban even have any anti aircraft weapons that could reach an airliner in cruise?

Depends on what they have captured too. Seems they are flying Russian and Western helicopters using pilots they've "convinced" to switch sides. Wouldn't be too hard to see the same happening with AtoA missile batteries.

I hope nobody was stupid enough to bring such weapons to Afghanistan. It's not like the Taliban had an air force that made them necessary.

btfarrwm · Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:46 pm

Who is responsible for ATC communications in KBL (and all of Afghanistan) at present? Not surprising that whoever it is...they are hiring.

https://af.linkedin.com/jobs/air-traffi ... &pageNum=0

hpff · Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:54 pm

IceCream wrote:
James42 wrote:
Interesting to see an SQ A350 from JFK about to overfly Kabul. I would have thought for sure they would avoid Afghan airspace.

I saw LX on the way to HKG over Kabul as well.

Air India DEL-SVO is about to overfly Kabul as well, and the LHR-BLR flight looks like it'll go over Kandahar. FlyDubai appears to be routing flights to Almaty due north over Iran, but they've done this before.

There used to be a pretty clear airway over Tashkent/Dushanbe into Afghanistan for north-south flights from Russia or over the pole to India and southeast Asia, interesting to see how that will be impacted by this.

sasd209 · Sun Aug 15, 2021 6:54 pm

32andBelow wrote:
Apparently there’s b52s flying right now to take care of all the bases the Afghan army surrendered.

https://www.flightradar24.com/GRIMM12/28cbe167

seansasLCY · Sun Aug 15, 2021 7:10 pm

FluidFlow wrote:
I do not see any danger to civil avistion. It was safe to overfly afghani airspace before the invasion and it will be no problem after. The Taliban are no terrorists. Their goal is and was to control afghanistan. They may have tolerated Al Quaida and then got scapegoated for a Saudi-led Al Quaida attack but for the last 20 years their only goal was to get Afghanistan back and they achieved that without any attacks outside Afghanistan. So why jeopardise the win over the USA by attacking civil aircraft?

The main issue is there becomes a power struggle and people try to impress. In the heat of the moment, that plane they thought was a US B52 or whatever turns out to be a passenger plane as it hits the ground. Look at the Iran shooting down of the Ukraine plane or Ukraine Malaysia incident.

There are a lot of powerful weapons in places and a power vacuum as Gov forces flee could leave these in the hands of people who don’t know what they are doing.

DLASFlyer · Sun Aug 15, 2021 7:15 pm

Chaos at the airport. Chaos aboard a KAmAir A340 on the tarmac.

https://twitter.com/saadmohseni/status/ ... 5679427588

Blerg · Sun Aug 15, 2021 7:18 pm

So according to the link posted above, it seems like there are people on the tarmac meaning security protocol no longer exists. Also, why is the Kam Air cabin all dark?

IceCream · Sun Aug 15, 2021 7:19 pm

https://twitter.com/1TVNewsAF/status/14 ... 8744502276
Still safe for flights?

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