DUSHANBE, August 28, 2013, Asia-Plus – New rules for air carriers are being adopted in Tajikistan, and control and regulation over international aviation standards in the country will be tightened.
According to the Head of Civil Aviation Directorate of the Transportation Ministry, Alisher Rustamov, amendments to aviation laws and rules are being made due to the visit of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) auditors in November.
This visit, which will take place after 5 years since the last inspection, will be decisive for Tajikistan, because in case of unsatisfactory evaluation Tajikistan risks being included into the “blacklist” of countries, whose aviation is considered unsafe for passengers. This visit will be scheduled. Such inspections are held in all member-states of ICAO every five years. In 2008, during the last visit to Tajikistan, ICAO inspectors made their recommendations to Tajik aviation authorities for necessary problem resolution.
According to Mr. Rustamov, auditors are primarily interested in control and regulation of government over airline companies, and not the work of Tajik airline companies, because it is control and regulations that can tell about good work of airline companies.
On 23 August, a week-long seminar-meeting of Tajik aviation authorities with the European Aviation Safety Agency, who are Tajikistan’s consultants in standardization of aviation rules based on ICAO demands, as well as on providing technical aid in the implementation of new aviation rules in the country.
Currently among the CIS countries, airlines of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Moldova and some other countries are in the “blacklist” of ICAO. Airlines in these countries are considered unsafe and their flight to Europe is banned, and ICAO member-states are recommended not to allow these companies to fly into their countries. Kazakhstan has been trying to get out of the list for a few years now and trying to fulfill all stringent ICAO rules, but they have not been able so far.
Three cargo carriers are registered in Tajikistan – Khatlan Air, Asia Airways, and Par Air, as well as four passenger carriers – Tajik Air, Somon Air, East Air, and Asian Express Airlines. The latter has not received permission from aviation authorities to begin flying.
