Cargo flights carrying fruits from southern Kandahar province to India started again after a months-long delay, officials said Saturday.
After the opening of Afghanistan-India air corridor, it was the second cargo flight from Kandahar province to India which departed on Friday evening.
Abdul Hanan Munib, provincial financial and administrative affairs secretary, told Pajhwok Afghan News the cargo plane was loaded with 40 metric tons of dry and fresh fruits.
He said the first cargo flight on June 24 had also exported 40 tons of dry and fresh fruits to India.
The cargo flights between Afghanistan and India had to be delayed due to some technical problems, but the process started again, he said.
Kandahar traders are happy over resumption of cargo flights, but they have some concerns as well.
A fresh fruit trader, Jalal Rahman Sharar, said: “Unfortunately the first cargo flights began when it was not the time of fruits harvests, and the second series of flights is also being started when grapes collection season is almost over.”
Traders purchased huge amount of apricots from gardeners when cargo flights first started to India, but later they were obliged to dry fruits they had purchased and wanted to export, he added.
Sharar said traders were still worried they would again face delay in cargo flights and would suffer losses.
He asked Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) officials to closely watch resumption of cargo flights to India and address problems if occurred during that process.
Source: pajhwok.com
