U.S. Activates Civil Reserve Air Fleet to Move Afghan Refugees

By Anna Breuer on 22 August 2021
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The Biden administration activated the Civil Reserve Air Fleet to transport Afghan refugees to the United States.

Six U.S. airlines are providing 18 aircraft under the order.  American Airlines, Atlas Air, and Delta Air Lines as well as charter airline Omni Air will each provide three.  Hawaiian Airlines will provide two and United Airlines will provide four.

The Civil Reserve Air Fleet, frequently referred to as CRAF, was created in 1952 after aircraft were commandeered in 1952 for the Berlin Airlift as a more orderly way of serving emergency military needs.

The U.S. airlines won’t fly in and out of Kabul but they will operate flights from U.S. bases in Germany, Qatar, and Bahrain to the United States.

Based on figures from earlier in the decade, a total of 24 carriers and 553 aircraft are enrolled in CRAF. This includes 517 aircraft in the international segment with 391 in the long-range international section and 126 in the short-range international section. In addition, there are 36 aircraft in the national, or domestic, segment.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)

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