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2021-08-22 Afghanistan

U.S. Considers Ordering Commercial Airlines to Help in Afghan Evacuation

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Posted by Skidmark 2021-08-22 07:31|| || Front Page|| [7 views ] Top
File under: Taliban/IEA

#1 ...The order has in fact gone out. Now, this next part is strictly RUMINT only, but I'm hearing noises to the effect that the airlines are giving some pushback this time.

In the end they'll do it - Uncle Sugar helped pay for those planes; that's the point of the CRAF - but they also need every seat they have in the air carrying paying passengers. It's only a comparative handful of aircraft, but it's a handful the major airlines simply can't afford right now.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2021-08-22 12:23|| 2021-08-22 12:23|| Front Page Top

#2 I didn't think the problem was a shortage of aircraft (we have the largest air force in the world, no?)

This reeks of desperation--throwing anything and everything up against the wall and hoping to high heaven that something sticks.

Posted by Tom 2021-08-22 14:26|| 2021-08-22 14:26|| Front Page Top

#3 You want your mil transports doing short haul to transfer stations for the 'civilian' craft to do the long haul. Remember all those in the West flashing their virtue about taking 'X' thousands. It's a long way to the West.

Notice the Chinese are not virtue flashing.

Posted by Procopius2k 2021-08-22 14:49|| 2021-08-22 14:49|| Front Page Top

#4 #2 I didn't think the problem was a shortage of aircraft (we have the largest air force in the world, no?)

Not so much a shortage of aircraft as where those aircraft are heading. They'll be going to the places where we're dropping off the refugees (Qatar, Oman, etc) and taking them elsewhere on refugee-only flights. That way we've got some (though nowhere near enough) control on who's getting out, and they're going from Control Point A to Control Point B with (theoretically) folks processing them at each end and not airline crew saying 'Buh-bye' at the gate.

Likely we'll screw this up too, but it bears some resemblance to organization and planning, so we'll see.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2021-08-22 15:12|| 2021-08-22 15:12|| Front Page Top

#5 but it's a handful the major airlines simply can't afford right now.

It would seem there is are lots of spare long haul airliners since international air travel has cratered.

Posted by Omaviper Lumumba3702 2021-08-22 16:44|| 2021-08-22 16:44|| Front Page Top

#6 Yesterday's Drone

Posted by Skidmark 2021-08-22 19:57|| 2021-08-22 19:57|| Front Page Top

#7 Those capable of eventually getting airborne will take months to get them in flying condition let alone mission ready. Most are there for spare parts purposes.

Posted by illeagle 2021-08-22 20:17|| 2021-08-22 20:17|| Front Page Top

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