Wednesday's flight was the most packed of all such flights from Kabul yet, and included several women athletes, including 28-year-old basketballer Tahera Yousofi from Herat, who is heading to Canada. "Today is a very, very sweet day for all of us because after many, many weeks our trek starts and we are very happy," she told AFP.
Flying alongside the athletes were expatriate Afghans who were visiting their homeland. Aside from Afghans, the passengers included citizens from the US, Germany, Britain, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, Canada, Japan and others. Several families brought young children and babies. The Qatari flights began on August 31, carrying hundreds of passengers each time. Several such flights have been operated until now.