Afghanistan-India opens Air Corridor bypassing Pakistan

According to Pakistan media, the cargo, worth about $ 5 million, was the first in what officials from the two countries hope will be many flights allowing Afghan and Indian companies to bypass Pakistan, which strictly limits the shipment of goods by land between India and Afghanistan.

“Our aim is to change Afghanistan to an exporter country,” Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said at a ceremony marking the inaugural flight.

Afghanistan depends on Karachi port for its foreign trade. It is allowed to send a limited amount of goods overland through Pakistan into India, but imports from India are not allowed along this route.

Afghanistan, India and Iran signed a trilateral transit agreement in 2016 known as 'Chabahar agreement', which could facilitate Afghanistan's access to India and all around the world.

Border crossings are often closed as Afghan and Pakistani forces clash over the disputed border, and Afghan farmers have complained about fruit and other products rotting without other options for shipping.

Next week, a second flight to India is scheduled to depart from the southern city of Kandahar, carrying 40 tons of dried fruit.

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