Aviation in war-torn Afghanistan has received a double boost. The damaged runway at Kabul airport has been re-opened and a ban on international flights has been lifted. The United Nations has told the country's national carrier, Ariana, that it can resume international flights after a break of more than two years. Ariana said earlier that it hopes, initially, to re-start operations to India, United Arab Emirates and neighboring Uzbekistan. The runway at the capital's airport was badly damaged by US bombing raids and five of Ariana's six-strong fleet of aircraft were also put out of action. As a result of the UN decision, the International Air Transport Association will hand over USD$23 million of frozen Ariana assets to the new Afghan government. The international flight ban was imposed by the UN on the country's former Taleban regime as part of the campaign to extradite terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden.