Afghanistan’s cargo expansion on the Horizon
31 / 03 / 2011
FOLLOWING the acquisition of four new freighters an all-cargo airline in Afghanistan is now likely to take off in May.
East Horizon Airlines acquired four CASA 212-00 ramp-loading freighters from EADS CASA.
The aircraft will fly to Malta and the UAE for final inspection, maintenance and pilot training before landing in Afghanistan. Once they arrive in Afghanistan, East Horizon will complete the final operational preparations necessary for the grant of an air operator’s certificate by the Afghan Aviation Ministry, which is expected in May.
East Horizon will become the first carrier to be certified under the new, internationally-recognised Afghan aviation standards.
The company will have a fleet of five aircraft in operation by the end of the year, with further expansion planned over the next two to three years.
“We are a 100 per cent Afghan-owned cargo airline dedicated to supporting and accelerating the re-development of Afghanistan by moving reconstruction materials across the country more safely and quickly than is currently possible,” East Horizon Airlines chairman Fawad Sultani said.
The airline is also in talks to branch out its service network beyond Afghanistan, with its first international destinations likely to include the UAE, western China and India.
