The Independent Civil Aviation Authority of Afghanistan on Thursday assumed full control of Afghanistan's airspace after almost 26 years.
Presidential Palace said in a statement that a new radar system was inaugurated in the presence of President Ashraf Ghani at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.
Ghani said the control of Afghanistan’s airspace will pave the way for turning Afghanistan into a regional economic hub.
“Afghanistan lacked air corridors which should pass through Afghanistan’s airspace. Now this opportunity has been paved. Our important goal is to change Afghanistan into a hub in the region. We will achieve this goal soon,” he said.
The president said with the new system in place air services charges will drop.
“The fee which we paid for air services was more than one hundred million dollars but today with the use of new technology by Afghans, the charges of air services will reduce and the quality and income will increase,” Ghani said.
Head of the Independent Civil Aviation Authority Mahmoud Shah Habibi said Afghanistan will have control of all flights using its airspace with the radar system.
Presidential Palace says Afghanistan now has a modern radar system run by Afghan airspace controllers.