The Pentagon says it is seeking help from six U.S. airlines to help with the ongoing evacuation effort in Afghanistan.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin activated Stage 1 of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet program, or CRAF, on Sunday. The U.S. military is asking for 18 aircraft — three each from American Airlines, Atlas Air, Delta Air Lines and Omni Air; two from Hawaiian Airlines and four from United Airlines.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the civilian aircraft will not fly into Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. Instead, they will be used for "the onward movement of passengers from temporary safe havens and interim staging bases" outside of Afghanistan.