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| Founded | 1994 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commenced operations | 1995 | |||
| Ceased operations | 2011 | |||
| Hubs | Kabul International Airport | |||
| Fleet size | 5 (upon closure) | |||
| Destinations | 10 (upon closure) | |||
| Company slogan | Fly with confidence | |||
| Headquarters | Kabul, Afghanistan | |||
| Key people | Sherkhan Farnood (Chairman) | |||
| Website | pamirairways.af | |||
Pamir Airways was a privately owned airline headquartered in Kabul, Afghanistan,[1] operating scheduled passenger flights out of Kabul International Airport. The company name is derived from the Pamir Mountains and translates "roof of the world".
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As the first private airline in the history of the country, Pamir Airways was issued an Air Operator's Certificate in 1994[1] by the authorities then in charge of civil aviation in the Islamic State of Afghanistan. Flight operations were launched in 1995 with an initial fleet of one Boeing 707-300 and two Antonov An-12 aircraft.
In April 2008, Pamir Airways was taken over by a group of Afghan businessmen under the leadership of Sherkhan Farnood, the president of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce & Industries and former chairman of Kabul Bank, who subsequently became chairman of the airline. Following the investment, Pamir Airways received a loan for $98 million from Kabul Bank, which was later exposed as one having indescribly poor lending standards (e.g. little to no interest required, no collateral required and repayment essentially optional)[2] An effort was made to re-organize the Pamir assets, including its aging fleet of grounded planes, which could not be sold at high enough prices to reclaim the funds, though.[3] As a consequence, the license of the airline was withdrawn, officially due to the poor safety record on 19 March 2011.[4][5]
Upon closure, Pamir Airways operated scheduled services to the following destinations:[6]
During the Hajj season, Pamir Airways played a major role in taking Afghan pilgrims to Saudi Arabia (9,000 in 2004 and 15,000 in 2005).
Over the years, Pamir Airways operated the following aircraft types:[7]
| Aircraft | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antonov An-12 | 1995 | ||
| Antonov An-24 | 2010 | ||
| Boeing 707 | 1995 | ||
| Boeing 737-200 | 2008 | 2011 | 1 remained in fleet upon closure |
| Boeing 737-400 | 2009 | 2011 | 4 remained in fleet upon closure |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-10 | 2005 |