Air Traffic Over Afghanistan Increases Fivefold Amid Iran-Israel Tensions

Since the start of Israel’s military strikes on Iran, the number of flights passing through Afghan airspace under Taliban control has increased more than fivefold, according to data from the flight-tracking website Flightradar24.

The platform reports that daily overflights have risen from an average of 50 to approximately 280, as many airlines reroute to avoid Iranian airspace due to heightened security risks and ongoing conflict in the region.

During the first two years of Taliban rule, most international airlines avoided Afghan airspace altogether. However, those restrictions began to ease in 2023. Despite this, many carriers continued to opt for alternative routes, citing safety concerns.

The recent surge in overflights could become a significant source of revenue for the Taliban, who face acute financial constraints. The group reportedly charges a transit fee of $700 per flight, collected through third-party intermediaries. With the current traffic volume, this could generate more than $1 million per week.

Flightradar24, founded in Sweden in 2006, is a widely used platform that allows users to track real-time commercial flight paths across the globe.