India’s tenuous communication link with Kabul remains suspended following Thursday’s attack on the Kabul airport and there are doubts over resumption after Air India pilots opposed “political pressure” to do so without fail-safe measures.
Indian civil aviation authorities maintained there was no such pressure and have put the onus of resumption of flights to the two airlines, of which Spicejet has publicly announced suspension of operations. Public carrier Air India, too, has not been flying to Kabul since Thursday when gunmen attacked the airport with rocket propelled grenades and automatic gunfire.
Afghan sources here maintained that the airport was safe and this had been conveyed to the Indian authorities. Pilots both serving and retired unanimously want Air India to immediately stop flights to Kabul after the missile attack on a Malaysia Airlines flight
