December 10, 2001	Monday	Ramazan 24, 1422

NEW DELHI, Dec 9: Indian Airlines and Afghan carrier Ariana are set to launch commercial flights between New Delhi and Kabul next week, the interior minister of Afghanistan’s new interim administration was quoted as saying on Sunday.

“Indian Airlines and Afghan airlines will be flying to Kabul and back,” Yunis Qanuni told the Indian Express newspaper in New Delhi.

Qanuni, in the Indian capital since Friday to visit his parents, did not give details about the service but said regular flights would start next week, the newspaper reported.

Indian Airlines officials were not immediately available for comment but a senior Ariana official said in Kabul last week the battered airline was left with just two of its eight planes after the two-month long US air strikes.—Reuters