On 21 May 2024, Turkish Airlines resumed scheduled commercial flights to Afghanistan for the first time since the regime change in 2021. The return of regular air service signalled a minor but meaningful economic-diplomatic opening, indicating renewed connectivity and some international engagement with Afghanistan’s current government. The flights could facilitate trade, remittances and travel for Afghans abroad, and represent an incremental step in regional ties and economic normalization. The event also reflected the continued importance of transport infrastructure in Afghanistan’s development context.
