Afghanistan's Flights Halted Amid Internet Shutdown

Fri Oct 03 2025 05:24:37 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Kabul's main airport comes to a standstill following a nationwide internet blackout imposed by the Taliban government, severely disrupting essential services and communications.

Afghanistan is facing a significant crisis as the Taliban government enforces a nationwide internet shutdown affecting communication, banking, and online education. These measures have led to flights being grounded at Kabul's main airport, with reports of cancellations and an overall sense of paralysis in daily life. The United Nations warns of the grave implications on the humanitarian situation in the country, particularly for women and girls who rely on internet access for education and services.

Afghanistan's main airport is at a standstill as the country grapples with the fallout of a nationwide internet shutdown imposed by the Taliban government.

The Taliban has yet to give an official reason for the decision, which took effect on Monday, but did say it would last until further notice. The UN said it risked inflicting significant harm.

Communication within Afghanistan, and out to the wider world, has been severely affected, as have essential services - including banking and payments - and access to online education, a lifeline for many women and girls.

Kabul airport, meanwhile, was nearly deserted, according to one resident, with no evidence of planes arriving or leaving.

Flight tracking service Flightradar24 showed that a handful of incoming and outgoing flights on Tuesday had been cancelled. Many more simply had their status marked as unknown.

One passenger who planned to fly into Kabul International Airport on Tuesday was told there would be no flights until Thursday at the earliest.

The United Nations mission in Afghanistan called on the Taliban authorities to immediately and fully restore nationwide internet and telecommunications access, highlighting that the cut in access has left Afghanistan almost completely cut off from the outside world.

'We are blind without internet'

The Taliban government have for weeks been severing fibre-optic internet connections across several provinces, culminating in a nationwide blackout.

A shopkeeper in Kabul expressed the frustration felt by many residents, saying, All our business relies on mobiles. The deliveries are with mobiles. It's like a holiday, everyone is at home. The market is totally frozen.

International news agencies have struggled to maintain contact, and numerous residents report significant disruptions to their businesses and daily lives.

A 'total internet blackout'

According to reports, the Taliban is enforcing morality measures, leading to a decline in connectivity and essential services across Afghanistan. As the situation unfolds, the humanitarian crisis deepens, disproportionately impacting women and girls limited in their access to education.

With the nation's infrastructure crippled and communication lines severed, many Afghans face an uncertain future as they navigate life under strict restrictions imposed by the Taliban regime.