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Old Aug 25, 2021, 5:19 pm
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UA868 DEL-SFO flight path

As of Aug 25, 2021, this UA commercial flight still pass through Afghanistan territory while the entire country has zero flight except military flights..




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Old Aug 25, 2021, 5:47 pm
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Note the flight path is outside of Afghanistan (except for a tiny sliver) and at 34,000 feet -- while outside of the range of handheld missiles. This is the path UA has used for some time. Has it gotten riskier? Not aware of any NOTAM
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Old Aug 25, 2021, 10:21 pm
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
Note the flight path is outside of Afghanistan (except for a tiny sliver) and at 34,000 feet -- while outside of the range of handheld missiles. This is the path UA has used for some time. Has it gotten riskier? Not aware of any NOTAM
Handheld missiles aren't the only thing to be concerned about, but any further discussion there is probably off topic for the UAL forum.

The airspace is currently uncontrolled per NOTAM G1264/21 among others (some foreign ones were issued when it was unclear Kabul FIR would be able to issue one), and US flights are prohibited per NOTAM A0024/21 with the exception of flights to/from Kabul and this route P500-G500 that UAL took here.

Originally Posted by kithytom
As of Aug 25, 2021, this UA commercial flight still pass through Afghanistan territory while the entire country has zero flight except military flights.
There's still civil flights to/from Kabul, including US operators. Mostly the types with very generic liveries and faint registration numbers.
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Last edited by mduell; Aug 25, 2021 at 10:39 pm
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Old Aug 25, 2021, 10:43 pm
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Originally Posted by mduell
....
Also the airspace is currently uncontrolled per NOTAM G1264/21 among others (some foreign ones were issued when it was unclear Kabul FIR would be able to issue one), and US flights are prohibited per NOTAM A0024/21 with the exception of flights to/from Kabul and this route P500-G500 that UAL took here. ....
Thanks, no sure how I missed that, I had figure there should be something

a map of the allowed route UA is using





Originally Posted by mduell
... There's still civil flights to/from Kabul, including US operators. Mostly the types with very generic liveries and faint registration numbers.
Yes charters are still operating -- Blackwater and the separate "rogue" HR conress guys are two notable examples
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Old Aug 26, 2021, 1:45 am
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That is the one airway that remains open: https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/the-aviation-situation-in-afghanistan/

The US FAA issued a security NOTAM restricting access to the Kabul FIR (Afghanistan airspace), except for the P500-G500 jet route that transits the narrow Wakhan Corridor in eastern Afghanistan. At the point of crossing, aircraft spend about 2 minutes in Afghan airspace between Pakistan and Tajikistan.
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Old Aug 26, 2021, 12:48 pm
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very informative thx!
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Old Aug 26, 2021, 3:19 pm
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Originally Posted by dordal
That is the one airway that remains open: https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/the-aviation-situation-in-afghanistan/

The US FAA issued a security NOTAM restricting access to the Kabul FIR (Afghanistan airspace), except for the P500-G500 jet route that transits the narrow Wakhan Corridor in eastern Afghanistan. At the point of crossing, aircraft spend about 2 minutes in Afghan airspace between Pakistan and Tajikistan.
Would it go something like this?

Taliban on ATC freq: United 868, you have flown into airspace over Afg. Land immediately.
UAL 868: United 868, sorry what? . . . . [fiddle with dials] . . . please say again . . . [two minutes later] . . . oh, roger that . . . [continue flying] . . .
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Old Aug 26, 2021, 7:24 pm
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Originally Posted by nnn
Would it go something like this?

Taliban on ATC freq: United 868, you have flown into airspace over Afg. Land immediately.
UAL 868: United 868, sorry what? . . . . [fiddle with dials] . . . please say again . . . [two minutes later] . . . oh, roger that . . . [continue flying] . . .
Kabul FIR isn't providing any ATS per NOTAM, so UAL would never call them; they transfer from Lahore FIR to Dushanbe FIR.
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Old Aug 27, 2021, 1:48 pm
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I don’t know if it was terrain or terror, But I noticed on 2010-2017 flights from EWR-DEL/BOM that we would fly a bit higher over Afghanistan- usually 3-4K feet- than over Russia and Pakistan. Don’t know if it was a wind thing or a precaution due to a possible threat.
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Old Aug 27, 2021, 6:31 pm
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Originally Posted by PushingTin
I don’t know if it was terrain or terror, But I noticed on 2010-2017 flights from EWR-DEL/BOM that we would fly a bit higher over Afghanistan- usually 3-4K feet- than over Russia and Pakistan. Don’t know if it was a wind thing or a precaution due to a possible threat.
Them mountains in the Himalayas are tall. Going higher is always a good idea. Especially in pressurized planes.

David
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Old Aug 27, 2021, 8:52 pm
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wow is this just US airlines or all countries airlines doing this flight path?
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Old Aug 27, 2021, 9:11 pm
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Originally Posted by Porch
wow is this just US airlines or all countries airlines doing this flight path?
It the standard corridor for DEL to SFO flights -- AI 173/174, AI183/184
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Old Jan 31, 2022, 10:37 am
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Interesting routing UA 868

Curious about the initial eastward detour out of DEL. To avoid the Himalayas?
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Old Jan 31, 2022, 11:51 am
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Likely lack of altitude performance if an engine fails or suitable methods to "escape" terrain if a depressurization occurs.
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Old Feb 1, 2022, 11:06 am
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It looks like AA uses it for its JFK-DEL flights as well.
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