The US Department of Defense has called for commercial airlines to assist with the ongoing evacuation efforts in Afghanistan.
On Sunday, August 22, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the Commander of US Transportation Command to activate Stage I of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) - which allows the DOD access to commercial air mobility resources.
In a statement from Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby, it was announced that 18 aircraft - three each from American Airlines, Atlas Air, Delta Air Lines, and Omni Air; two from Hawaiian Airlines; and four from United Airlines - would be enlisted.
The aircraft will be used to help with the evacuation of "US citizens and personnel, Special Immigrant Visa applicants, and other at-risk individuals from Afghanistan," the statement adds.
Kirby also clarified that the 18 aircraft would not be flying to Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport, but will instead be utilized for the "onward movement of passengers from temporary safe havens and interim staging bases."
The statement adds that the CRAF assistance will allow military aircraft to focus on operations in and out of Kabul.
CNN has described the move as "a sign of the severity and urgency of the situation".
In the 70-year history of this particular National Emergency Preparedness Program, it has only ever been invoked twice - Operations Desert Shield/Storm during the Gulf War in 1990 and Operation Iraqi Freedom during the invasion of Iraq back in 2002.
On Sunday, United Airlines issued a statement on the CRAF, which read: "United is proud to partner with the Department of Defense and support the humanitarian mission to fly American citizens and Afghan evacuees."
A spokesperson for Atlas Air also told CNN that the airline was "proud to provide" the Pentagon with "essential passenger services in the region at this critical time".
NBC News reports that the US military has evacuated 17,000 people out of Afghanistan since last Sunday, after chaos ensued following the Taliban entering the presidential palace in Kabul and declaring the war "over".
The outlet reports that thousands of people are still waiting to flee the country via the Hamid Karzai International Airport.
Britain’s Ministry of Defense has reported that seven people had died in the crowds that have gathered at the airport.
Per the Guardian, a spokesperson said: "Our sincere thoughts are with the families of the seven Afghan civilians who have sadly died in crowds in Kabul.
"Conditions on the ground remain extremely challenging but we are doing everything we can to manage the situation as safely and securely as possible."
