Far above Kabul, the cash-strapped Taliban government has located a potentially lucrative revenue stream: Afghanistan's airspace.

As Israel and Iran's exchange of missiles threw flight paths into disarray this year, the skies above Afghanistan offered carriers a less turbulent and faster route to ply -- for a flat $700 overflight fee, according to industry insiders.

The US aviation authority eased restrictions on the country's airspace and paved the way for commercial flyovers in 2023, two years after the Taliban takeover.

Airspace that had long been avoided -- as the country endured four decades of war and shifting powerbrokers -- suddenly became a viable option, allowing carriers to abbreviate routes and save on fuel costs.

But it was not until the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June that the route really gained traction, allowing the Taliban government to potentially rake in millions.

Faced with shuttered airspace over Iran and Iraq, and unpredictable openings and closures across the Middle East, airlines saw reason to divert course and found refuge over Afghanistan.

While missiles clogged the neighbouring airspace, "the risk of flying over Afghanistan (was) virtually zero", said........

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