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20th Sep 2021

All-female cabin crew dismissed by new Taliban bosses in Afghanistan

Kieran Galpin

The women have still not been permitted to return to work

Afghanistan’s first all-female cabin crew have been dismissed amid growing concerns over the welfare of the Afghan people under Taliban rule.

The fall of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on August 15 changed the lives of Afghan citizens. Still, the most affected are arguably the women, who fear the stringent rules of the Taliban would once again impede on their day-to-day lives.

Now, the women of Ariana Airlines are in a safe house awaiting new rules from their Taliban bosses, reports the BBC.

You might remember the chaotic scenes at Kabul’s airport in the days that followed the capital’s fall last month. The women were scheduled to work a flight that day, one surrounded by desperate citizens attempting to flee. That flight never took off.

“It was my childhood dream to become an air hostess,” wept one woman, reminiscing over the fond memories she has with the other women of Ariana Airlines.

“I was crying; I didn’t know where to go,” she continued before saying she was wondering how to rescue herself. “It was a horrible night; I won’t ever forget in my life.”

After the Taliban gained control of the airport, the female cabin crew were told not to return to work.

One woman said they had fought many hardships to get their jobs, and now their “dreams are shattered”.

The video cuts to a woman filming out of her window, presumably crouched down out of sight. The Taliban are seen on the street, neighbours screaming in the distance.

Ariana Airlines has since resumed local flights only – and despite people asking for the women to return, the Taliban has not made any announcements.

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