First and Only by Rick Herter

As the sudden and hasty evacuation of Kabul, Afghanistan took place in August of 2021, one U.S. air carrier made history. Miami based Global Crossing Airlines had just received approval to begin operations on August 7, 2021. The company was operating 2 Airbus A320’s when an urgent call from the U.S. State Department was received. Global Crossing was contracted to fly both of their aircraft directly into Hamid Karzai Airport in Afghanistan to assist in the humanitarian evacuation of Afghan refugees and allies. Operating alongside U.S. and coalition military airlift aircraft, Global Crossing was the ONLY U.S. flagged carrier to fly into and out of Kabul during the airlift. As a result, Global Crossing crews proved not only their courage, but the airlines ability to fly anywhere in the world within a few minutes of dispatch.