India-Afghanistan air corridor plan entered implementation phase on May 31, 2017 as the first flight is scheduled to take place on 15th June.

The India- Afghanistan air corridor project which was initiated by H.E President Ghani last year, entered operationalization stage today with the signing of an MoU between the CEOs of Ariana Airlines and Afghanistan Chambers of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) in presence of Ajmal Ahmady, senior economic advisor to the President of Afghanistan and officials and representatives from ACCI, MAIL MoCI and the business community.

Addressing the signing ceremony, held in ACCI headquarters, ACCI deputy chairman Khan Jan Alkozay thanked H.E President Ghani for championing the cause of the private sector by providing them a platform to increase their exports to India.

He highlighted the potential of this project in empowering traders to export quality and much sought for Afghan products to the vast Indian market by air with minimum costs while circumventing the obstacles faced in the land route. He also extended special thanks to Ajmal Ahmady and his team for making this significant project a reality.

Mr. Alkozay requested the traders to consider the Indian food and commercial standards and prepare their consignments to be exported for June 15th.

Speaking on the occasion, Ariana CEO Captain Nadir Omar announced the dates for first two cargo flights to New Delhi. According to Mr. Omar the first flight will depart Kabul for New Delhi on June 15 while the second planned flight will depart from Kandahar on June 20, 2017. He reassured the government and the business community of Ariana's readiness in implementing this program.

According to a statement by the Office of Economic Adviser to the President of Afghanistan, based on the terms of the MoU signed between ACCI and Ariana, the traders will only pay $0.20 per kg for exporting their goods to India while the rest will be paid by the government of Afghanistan as an incentive to promote Afghan exports to India. This program will also considerably reduce the cost of importing goods from India by air to only $0.40 per kg. Traders from both countries will benefit from this program.