First commercial passenger flight since Taliban takeover takes off from Kabul

Pakistan International Airlines flight bound for Islamabad departed on Monday

A Pakistan International Airlines plane carrying a handful of passengers, which is the first international commercial flight to land since the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan on August 15th, is seen after landing at the airport in Kabul, on Monday. Photograph: AFP via Getty Images
A Pakistan International Airlines plane carrying a handful of passengers, which is the first international commercial flight to land since the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan on August 15th, is seen after landing at the airport in Kabul, on Monday. Photograph: AFP via Getty Images

A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) commercial passenger flight took off from Kabul airport on Monday, bound for Islamabad, a Reuters witness said.

The PIA flight is the first commercial passenger flight from Kabul since the foreign troop withdrawal and evacuation process was completed in Afghanistan. Last week the Qatari government flew civilian charters out of Kabul. – PA