Dhaka: Abu Dhabi-based carrier Etihad Airways is to launch flights to Kabul, Afghanistan, making it the latest airline to open a route to the Afghan capital.

The new service will begin on December 18, 2025, in response to the“growing demand for travel between the UAE and Afghanistan”, the Emirati carrier announced in a statement on October 10, 2025.

Etihad claims that this service will support“trade, investment and cultural exchange”, while also making travel easier for large Afghan communities in the GCC, Australia, Europe, and the United States.

“Kabul represents another important step in Etihad's strategy to expand access to markets within a four-hour radius of Abu Dhabi,” said Antonoaldo Neves, CEO at Etihad Airways.

“These flights will serve strong demand for travel, enable trade and investment flows, and reconnect families and communities.”

The airline plans to operate the new Abu Dhabi-Kabul service three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, using an Airbus A320 aircraft that has eight Business and 150 Economy seats.

Flight EY310 will leave Abu Dhabi for Kabul at 14:45 local time and arrive at 18:15 local time. The return flight, EY311, will depart Kabul at 19:10 local time and reach Abu Dhabi at 22:10 local time.

Kabul has become the 31st new route announced by Etihad in 2025, highlighting the airline's“continued investment in strategic markets across the Middle East and South Asia”.

Air travel to Afghanistan has gradually restarted in recent years, after many international flights were halted in 2021 because of the Taliban's takeover of Kabul and the following exit of Western troops.

Currently, a few regional airlines provide flights to the city. Turkish Airlines now operates four weekly round-trip flights between Istanbul and Kabul.

Other regional airlines including flydubai and Air Arabia also connect to the Afghan capital, along with local companies such as Kam Air and Ariana Afghan Airlines.

-B

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