Featured image: Mehmed Bekir Cakmak/Airways

Turkish Airlines Returns to Kabul, Afghanistan

DALLAS — Turkish Airlines (TK), has further solidified its claim as "the airline that flies to more countries than any other in the world" by relaunching flights to Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.

Back in August on 2021, TK flew its last flight to Kabul as Afghans tried to flee Kabul by any means necessary following the Taliban's advance through the capital.

With service commencing today, May 21, 2024, the Turkish flag carrier now boasts a network spanning 346 destinations across 130 countries and 6 continents. UAE-based airline flydubai (FZ) became the first international carrier to resume flights to the Afghanistan in November 2023.

Apart from TK and FZ, national airline Kam Air (RQ), Afghanistan's largest private airline, and Ariana Afghan Airlines (FG), a full-service airline based in Hamid Karzai International Airport (KBL), operate limited services from Kabul to destinations including Dubai, Moscow, Islamabad and Istanbul.

The TK Kabul route was made available for booking on April 26, 2024, with four weekly flights scheduled on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

Tail of TC-JOF Turkish Airlines Airbus A330-300. Photo: Marty Basaria/Airways

Turkish Airlines Istambul-Kabul Flight Schedule

The flight schedule for the Istanbul-Kabul route is as follows (all in local times):

Outbound

Flight No: TK706
Departure (UTC): 00:40
Arrival (UTC): 06:45
Origin: Istanbul (IST)
Destination: Kabul (KBL)
Flight Duration: 4 hours 35 minutes

Inbound

Flight No: TK707
Departure (UTC): 08:45
Arrival (UTC): 12:45
Origin: Kabul (KBL)
Destination: Istanbul (IST)  
Flight Duration: 5 hours 30 minutes

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