Airlines are turning to a network of third parties to pay fees to Afghan authorities as more planes use the country’s airspace, increasing the risk of legal disputes and money laundering, according to pilots, aviation executives and lawyers.
In the last year more airlines have started flying over Afghanistan as conflict in the Middle East widened and as aviation regulators softened their stance on using Afghan airspace.
The Taliban says publicly that this has led to a surge in overflight payments – fees that countries typically charge airlines for navigation services in their airspace.
However,