KARACHI: Pakistani aviation authorities on Monday rejected Afghan media reports suggesting they had suspended the flight operation of Kam Air, Afghanistan’s largest private airline, to Islamabad. 

Citing the airline officials, Khaama Press News Agency, the largest online news service in Afghanistan, reported earlier on Monday that Kam Air had been barred from flying to Pakistan for the past two days and the airline was awaiting a notice from Pakistani authorities. 

The carrier would operate three weekly flights to Pakistan before the suspension of international flights from Afghanistan, following a Taliban takeover of the country in August. 

“Pakistan has not suspended the flights,” a spokesperson for the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) told Arab News, describing Afghan news reports suggesting otherwise as “false.” 

“One of their (KAM) flights didn’t take off from Kabul as passengers didn’t have the required NOC (no-objection certificate) from the MOI [Ministry of Interior of Pakistan]. They, in fact, asked us to let them operate an additional flight in place of the missed flight but Pakistan didn’t allow.” 

The PCAA spokesperson said the Afghan airline was operating as per schedule. “Passengers from Afghanistan are required to have permission of Pakistan’s ministry of interior to travel to Pakistan,” he explained. 

Afghanistan’s civil aviation ministry last month asked Pakistani authorities to allow Kam Air and Afghan national flag carrier, Ariana, to operate commercial flights to Islamabad, after some airlines had already resumed their flight operations to the war-torn country. 

The PCAA granted Kam Air permission for Islamabad-Kabul flights on September 27. 

Kam Air was the only carrier, besides Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), to operate commercial flights between Afghanistan and Pakistan after the Taliban takeover. 

Founded in 2003, the Afghan airline has a fleet of seven aircraft and employs 1,200 people, according to its website.