Defense Secretary Orders US Airlines to Help With Evacuation
It's only the third time in history that the U.S. airlines have been mobilized by the military.
By Marcus Weisgerber and Tara Copp
August 20, 2021
Updated: Aug. 22, 8:26 a.m. ET
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the Civil Reserve Air Fleet to activate, requesting 18 aircraft from the U.S. airlines to help in the evacuation of Afghans and Americans.
It marks the third time in history that the military has mobilized the U.S. airlines to help with a military evacuation. Some 22,000 Americans and Afghans have been flown out of Afghanistan since July; 17,000 in the past week alone.
Austin’s order calls for American Airlines, Atlas Air, and Delta Air Lines to provide three aircraft, the Pentagon said in an emailed statement on Sunday morning. Omni Air and Hawaiian Airlines must each provide two aircraft. United Airlines will provide four planes.
https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2021/08/heres-how-us-could-get-afghanistan-evacuees-united-states-more-quickly/184736/
