Ariana Afghan Airline was launched on January 27, 1955. This is the largest and oldest carrier of Afghanistan, the national airline.
It is solely controlled and owned by the Afghan government having its base in Kabul at Kabul International Airport.
Realizing the utility, the Afghan government initiated this airline.
The logo was designed personally by the Shah of Afghanistan and in the year 1957, Ariana Afghan Airline was reincorporated as Limited company having 51% shares owned by the Afghan Government and 49% by Pan American World Airways.
Ariana Afghan Airlines in 1970s almost reached to become the top Afghanistan airlines, but suffered setbacks in 1989 owing to the Soviet invasion and Taliban takeover in 1996 of Kabul.
Eventually, they had to terminate their international services and owing to this faced severe economic crisis and a cataclysmic affect on the business.
The overseas operations of the company were suspended by UN Security Council. Gradually, cargo flights to China also came to a halt and Ariana Afghan flights to France, Italy, Britain and Netherlands were also cancelled permanently.
In fact, for a short period of time it shifted its base to Pakistan, in Karachi and by 1999, these flights flew only to UAE, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Riyadh.
However, slowly Ariana Afghan Airlines showed revival signs with international sectors and the airline now launched e-ticketing facility as well facilitating online booking.
In the year 2009 on June 20, e-ticketing was introduced and the airlines now fly thrice a week to Frankfurt on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. They are making efforts to privatize the airline.
Ariana Afghan flights cover various domestic destinations namely, Kandahar, Kabul, Mazar-e sharif and Heart.
There are international destinations serving to India and Pakistan. It also has flights to Kuwait, Iran, Dubai, Sharjah and Saudi Arabia. This shows that it had relationships with the international airlines in India.
Ariana Afghan Airlines now has ten aircrafts operating, including Antonov An-24, Airbus A300B4-200 andA310-300, Boeing 727-200, 727-200F and 737-700.
It has placed orders for four more new Airbus A310-300.
This airline is hopefully improving after the serious social, political and economic disruptions and will appear in the future.
