Australia’s first evacuation flight from Afghanistan lands to safety

Australia’s first evacuation flight from Afghanistan has landed at a base in the Middle East

The Australian Defence Force evacuation flight from Afghanistan landed back at a military base in the United Arab Emirates.

The rescue mission collected 26 passengers from Kabul airport.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said more flights would be organised

“This is not a simple process,” Scott Morrison said.

“This was the first of what will be many flights, subject to clearance and weather.”

He confirmed the flight included Australian citizens, Afghan nationals with visas and one foreign official working in an international agency.

“The transfers are done to our base in the Emirates, where capacity has already been established with medical support available, to provide that medical support and to process their further onward transfer to Australia,” he said.

Flight tracking websites showed the RAAF Hercules flying in and out of Afghanistan this morning.

Australia has committed 250 troops and multiple military aircraft to the region with the intention to rescue around 600 people from Kabul. 

As announced earlier, the airport in Kabul has been secured by US troops.

The Australian Prime Minister said this was a ‘crucial’ element.