United Airlines Is Helping To Evacuate People From Afghanistan

NEWARK, NJ — For the first time in 18 years, the federal government has activated the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, mobilizing several commercial companies – including United Airlines – in an effort to evacuate vulnerable people from Afghanistan.

As civil unrest continues to spread amid a Taliban takeover of the country, U.S. military officials are seeking help from six airlines to aid with the ongoing evacuation effort. They include American Airlines, Atlas Air, Delta Air Lines, Omni Air, Hawaiian Airlines and United Airlines, which has a hub at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Each airline is contractually committed to the reserve fleet, which is called into service when the military’s aircraft needs exceed their resources. In return, the participating carriers are given preference in carrying commercial peacetime cargo and passenger traffic for the U.S. Department of Defense.

• See related article: Afghan Refugees Headed To Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said the civilian aircraft won’t be flying into Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. Instead, they’ll be used for "the onward movement of passengers from temporary safe havens and interim staging bases" outside of Afghanistan, NPR reported.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby released a statement on Sunday about the program:

“At United, our mission is connecting people and uniting the world, so it’s with that spirit that we now begin the important mission of supporting our military in ensuring the safe passage of American citizens and Afghan evacuees to the United States. For the first time since 2003, the federal government has activated the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, or CRAF. This means that select aircraft from U.S. airlines, including United, will support the mission of the Department of Defense in operating flights to bring to the U.S. our men and women in uniform, American civilians as well as those Afghan citizens who have risked their lives to help keep them safe.”

Kirby continued:

“The CRAF is activated when the military’s needs exceed the capability of their aircraft and this is the first time it has been used primarily to transport civilians. As a global airline and flag carrier for our country, we embrace the responsibility to quickly respond to international challenges like this one – it’s a duty we take with the utmost care and coordination as we call upon the expertise of several different teams within our airline to work in close partnership with the U.S. military to safety execute this operation. We are especially thankful to our flight crews, technicians and support teams who are deploying at a moment’s notice to staff these missions.”

“We live in complicated times, but we’ve learned that an essential ingredient to our collective well-being is working together,” Kirby concluded. “We are united in caring for this group of passengers as they travel safely to the United States.”

• See related article: Biden To Americans In Afghanistan: 'We Will Get You Home'
• See related article: Rep. Sherrill Wants Looser Refugee Rules For Fleeing Afghan Women
• See related article: Sen. Bob Menendez Blames Trump, Biden For Afghanistan Crisis

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