http://thechronicleherald.ca/Columnists/1059629.html

AS A frequent international traveller, it has been my experience that you can discover a lot about a country from flying aboard their national airline. This certainly was the case when I flew into Kabul aboard Ariana Afghan Airlines.
The flight originated in Istanbul, and thankfully, I had called the airport ahead of time to confirm my flight and discovered the departure time had been delayed by a full two hours. When I inquired about the new expected arrival time so I could advise the people picking me up at the Kabul airport, I was told that we would arrive more than one hour ahead of schedule. When I asked how this could be possible, the attendant shrugged and said, "They will cut out the refuelling stop in Baku, Azerbaijan."