US to dispatch 18 commercial aircraft to lift US citizens, ‘vulnerable’ Afghans from Kabul

The United States will be sending 18 commercial planes to expedite the evacuation process, President Joe Biden said on Sunday.

The latest decision comes in the backdrop of Washington facing difficulty in carrying out the evacuation of US citizens and vulnerable Afghan citizens, who are fearful of the Taliban regime.

“The aircraft would not fly into Kabul but, would be used to carry people who have already been flown out of Afghanistan,” Reuters quoted Pentagon spokesman John Kirby as saying.

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He asserted that it was only the beginning of the evacuation program, hinting that more commercial aircraft could be used.

Among the airlines that would be dispatched to Kabul include American Airlines, Atlas Air, Delta Air Lines and Omni Air would provide three aircraft each, two from Hawaiian Airlines, and four from United Airlines.

Kirby said in a statement that the Department of Defence “does not anticipate a major impact to commercial flights from this activation.”

There is also increasing concern about security in Kabul, where roughly 5,800 troops are protecting the airport.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday the United States has “secured the capacity to get large numbers of Americans safe passage through the airport and onto the airfield” in Afghanistan.