Hi there,
Last may, the website ch.aviation announced that Ariana Afghan Airlines were to introduce two ATR, four B738 and two B762. I haven’t heard back from this announcement and I can’t find anything on the web. Does someone have any insides stories?
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Re: Ariana Afghan Airlines Fleet Plan
Not me, though thanks for introducing this topic. I’d add I wonder if they will introduce an updated livery with their new aircraft. Further, I’m intrigued why they wouldn’t go for 763s instead of 762s, given the better economics.
Re: Ariana Afghan Airlines Fleet Plan
Goodyear wrote:They're still flying?
Yes. They have an active website with very little information. However, while there's nothing on future aircraft plans they are currently flying the A310 and 737-400 to the limited number of destinations that they serve.
Re: Ariana Afghan Airlines Fleet Plan
There seems to so many small independent airlines in Afghanistan competing against each other for such a small market.
Ariana Afghan Airlines should be in a position to be it's rightly flag carrier and maybe the Afghanistan government could come to some agreement where some of these independent airlines can merge with Ariana making the airline a larger and more efficient carrier.
Ariana should eventually try and get their European ban lifted at some point and look towards obtaining suitable second hand aircraft to rebuild the airline, 320, 330, ATR's would suit their needs for growth.
At one time Ariana Afghan Airlines had quite an extensive network covering domestic and international flights to various countries, I remember their VERY late flights on a Sunday at LHR during the late 70s early 80's operated by a B720 and then a single DC10-30 (later sold to BCAL).
Ariana Afghan Airlines should be in a position to be it's rightly flag carrier and maybe the Afghanistan government could come to some agreement where some of these independent airlines can merge with Ariana making the airline a larger and more efficient carrier.
Ariana should eventually try and get their European ban lifted at some point and look towards obtaining suitable second hand aircraft to rebuild the airline, 320, 330, ATR's would suit their needs for growth.
At one time Ariana Afghan Airlines had quite an extensive network covering domestic and international flights to various countries, I remember their VERY late flights on a Sunday at LHR during the late 70s early 80's operated by a B720 and then a single DC10-30 (later sold to BCAL).
Re: Ariana Afghan Airlines Fleet Plan
I remember reading that Ariana got an A340 and was supposed to start flights to Europe as they were working with the Afghan Government and European Union to get off the Blacklist, (if i'm not mistaken I read this in the summer) but since then I haven't heard a single thing.
Re: Ariana Afghan Airlines Fleet Plan
I remember reading a similar article a few months ago on ch.aviation but I haven't read anything about it since, this is Afghanistan after all so any such move will take quite a long to happen but good luck to them if it all goes well and that they do eventually return to Europe.
Re: Ariana Afghan Airlines Fleet Plan
Yes they are still around, If memory serves one of the founding members of IATA. I spent a year in Kabul. They were flying some Loud old birds. 727-200, non hush kit. The ground rumbled when they started their takeoff roll... or was that the bombings????? There were 2 A-300's from Air India. Both just sitting rotting away at the airport. They also used the A-310's while I was there. Two were YA reg. the others were I do believe Georgian Reg. I could be mistaken. The last time a fleet upgrade I can recall was taking over the old 737-400s that were from Pamair. you would have noticed a Hybrid scheme in these birds. I cant imagine Ariana getting anywhere to the glory it once was. way too much corruption. Plus safety...... it isnt just Ariana any YA registered Aircraft I would dare get on. Safi was Brand new and was linked with Lufthansa.
The A-340 mentioned would have been allotted for SAFI Airways. When I arrived in Kabul, Safi was flying 2 A-320's ( one ex Skyservice bird I used to fly on YA-TTC) and the A-340. Crews were from all over the place with a few local Afghan crews. There were a few older 737's sitting on the ramp for the entire year I was there. Also a 767-200 was around.
The A-340 mentioned would have been allotted for SAFI Airways. When I arrived in Kabul, Safi was flying 2 A-320's ( one ex Skyservice bird I used to fly on YA-TTC) and the A-340. Crews were from all over the place with a few local Afghan crews. There were a few older 737's sitting on the ramp for the entire year I was there. Also a 767-200 was around.
Re: Ariana Afghan Airlines Fleet Plan
That must have been a very interesting year being based in Kabul 
I have to say that Afghanistan has always intrigued me and it's a country that I have always wanted to visit even at the height of it's troubles!
I have to say that Afghanistan has always intrigued me and it's a country that I have always wanted to visit even at the height of it's troubles!
Re: Ariana Afghan Airlines Fleet Plan
Cunard wrote:Ariana should eventually try and get their European ban lifted at some point and look towards obtaining suitable second hand aircraft to rebuild the airline, 320, 330, ATR's would suit their needs for growth.
Is there a commercial case today for flights from Europe to KBL?
Emirates/FlyDubai serve KBL multiple daily and then there is even Turkish.
Re: Ariana Afghan Airlines Fleet Plan
Just slightly off topic, does anyone remember the Ariana hijack that landed at STN a number of years ago. It was a 727. Where was the original routing of that aircraft, seems like an awful long way for a 727..
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Re: Ariana Afghan Airlines Fleet Plan
bhxdtw wrote:Just slightly off topic, does anyone remember the Ariana hijack that landed at STN a number of years ago. It was a 727. Where was the original routing of that aircraft, seems like an awful long way for a 727..
We studied this case in our International Relations seminar at university. As far as I am aware it was an internal Afghanistan flight bound for Mazar-i-Sharif, from Kabul. The hijackers, mostly family members fleeing the Taliban regime, sought to gain political asylum in Europe. This was at the height of the violence after the Taliban were being removed from state leadership.
The flight refuelled in Uzbekistan, then Russia and headed to STN. To this day most of the hijackers gained asylum in the UK and after serving a couple years in prison they were giving residency permits by the Home Office.
Half of the passengers also applied for and granted asylum too. They were not aware the flight was going to be hijacked. While the remaining passengers chose to stay in Afghanistan. An interesting case, however shows the extreme circumstances that folks there lived under. I am not aware of what happened to the aircraft or crew.
Re: Ariana Afghan Airlines Fleet Plan
lesfalls wrote:I remember reading that Ariana got an A340 and was supposed to start flights to Europe as they were working with the Afghan Government and European Union to get off the Blacklist, (if i'm not mistaken I read this in the summer) but since then I haven't heard a single thing.
I think you might be thinking of Kam Air, which has a (nice looking) A340.
http://www.tolonews.com/business/kam-ai ... y%E2%80%99
The a/c in question actually has an interesting history, as it was in US storage and the US Department of Commerce believed it be destined for Mahan Air when it was flown from Florida to Jakarta in October 2016. It seems they intervened and it ended up with Kam.
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