WASHINGTON: The United States on Sunday ordered six commercial airlines to help transport people after their evacuation from Afghanistan as Washington sought to step up the pace of departures of Americans and at-risk Afghans from Kabul.

The Pentagon said it called up 18 civilian aircraft from United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air and others to carry people from temporary locations after they landed from Afghanistan, leaning on the industry it last called upon during the Iraq War in 2003.

The move highlights the difficulty Washington is having in carrying out the evacuations following the Taliban's swift takeover marking only the third time the US military has employed civilian aircraft.