Flights in Afghanistan grounded after internet shutdown

BBC:

Afghanistan’s main airport is at a standstill as the country grapples with the fallout of a nationwide internet shutdown imposed by the Taliban government.

The Taliban has yet to give an official reason for the decision, which took effect on Monday, but did say it would last until further notice.

Communication within Afghanistan, and out to the wider world, has been severely impacted, as have essential services – including banking and payments – and access to online education, a lifeline for many women and girls.

The airport in the capital Kabul, meanwhile, was “nearly deserted”, according to one resident, with no evidence of planes arriving or departing.

Flight tracking service Flightradar24 showed that a handful of incoming and outgoing flights on Tuesday had been cancelled. Many more simply had their status marked as “unknown”.

One passenger who planned to fly into Kabul International Airport on Tuesday was told there would be no flights until Thursday at the earliest.

Another local said all flights from Kabul airport had been cancelled since Monday evening.

He added that life in Kabul “seems to be normal”, but added that there was “no communication at all” across the country.