The Biden administration is planning a dramatic ramp-up of its airlift from Kabul by making preparations to compel major U.S. airlines to help with the transportation of tens of thousands of evacueesfrom Afghanistan, while expanding the number of U.S. military bases that could house Afghans.
In another aviation move, the Transportation Department issued an order Friday granting foreign carriers that wouldn’t otherwise be allowed to land in the U.S. blanket authority to conduct evacuation flights to U.S. airports, until Sept. 30.
In a message to members, the union that represents flight attendants at United Airlines Holdings Inc. said Saturday that the airline had started the process of allowing flight attendants to bid to work flights under the CRAF program. Pay is typically higher for these flights, union officials said.
“In order for United to be prepared in the event the United States Department of Defense advises United Airlines CRAF has been activated, bidding for CRAF operations must be undertaken immediately and over a very abbreviated time period,” the union wrote to members.
It’s all about increasing velocity and moving the most number of evacuees as quickly and as efficiently as possible,” said the official. “We want to utilize our gray-tail [military] aircraft to take evacuees to Europe and the Middle East, then they will unload there and get aboard these wide-bodied aircraft with 300 or more seats that will more comfortably fly across the pond.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us-considers-ordering-commercial-airlines-to-help-in-afghan-evacuation/ar-AANzRWw