Another five foreign airlines are interested in investing in Afghanistan, with at least two expected to begin flights to the country soon, the Afghan Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (MTCA) told TOLOnews.
MTCA minister Daoud Ali Najafi said Thursday that five foreign airlines, different to the eight already operating in Afghanistan, were showing an interest in opening routes to the country and “two of them will soon start flying”.
Najafi identified four of the countries the airlines were based in – Switzerland, Holland, Austria and Thailand – but did not name the specific carriers.
Najafi said that he expected the introduction of the airlines would be good for the local industry, forcing them to compete with the international standards and prices.
“The investment of the airlines will have a good impact on the local airline services and we will ensure there are no violations through price dumping ,” Najafi told TOLOnews.
Price dumping refers to the practice of foreign companies selling products or services at prices below the local providers, forcing local prices to drop.
Najafi added that according to the aviation services agreement with foreign countries, as long as Afghan airlines have operations in another countries, those other countries’ carriers can launch an equivalent number of services in Afghanistan.
He said that the Turkish government has also pledged to help the ministry in terms of training aviation staff, flight safety, and traffic experts.
However, officials some of the private airline companies in Afghanistan have expressed concerns to TOLOnews in the past that the foreign airlines may introduce unhealthy competition inside the country.
The officials said that the government needed to support the national companies as they are only new companies without the means to fight the large carriers seeking a piece of the Afghan-regional market.
However the Ministry has responded that the investment of the airlines will improve services through the competition it introduces.
At least eight foreign airline are active in Afghanistan including Fly Dubai, Turkish Airways, Air India, Sky Airlines, Gulf Air, SpiceJet, and Pakistan International Airlines.
www.tolonews.com
Tags: 5, Afghanistan, Airlines, Assessing, foreign, in, prospects
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