Tajik national air carrier, Tajik Air, plans to resume domestic flights en route Dushanbe – Khorog – Dushanbe soon.
The airline is expected to resume flights to Khorog, the capital of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), beginning on February 25, Aziz Khairulloyev, a spokesman for Tajik Air, told Asia-Plus Friday afternoon.
According to him, Tajik Air will use helicopter Mi-8 to operate flights to Khorog, which is currently in transportation isolation because of recent heavy snowfalls.
A ticket for the flight reportedly costs 615.00 somoni.
Recall, Tajik Air suspended flights on this air route in October last year. Before that, the flights to Khorog were carried out by a sole remained AN-28 in the Tajik Air’s fleet.
On July 8, 2015, a group of citizens released an open letter asking President Emomali Rahmon to assist in resolving the issue of streamlining Dushanbe– Khorog – Dushanbe flights.
The appeal, which was signed by more than 140 citizens, asked the president to promote regularity of flights, improve their quality and safety, as well as establish affordable air ticket prices based on the solvency of the population, as these people use the services provided by the airport in Dushanbe.
One notes, at present, Tajik Air flies en route Dushanbe-Khorog-Dushanbe on its AN-28 aircraft.
“According to the aviation authorities, this air transport meets all the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Air Transport Association. However, the actual flights on these aircraft are becoming more dangerous”, the statement said.
At the same time, in a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, Faizullo Sattorov Deputy Director General, Tajik Air, on July 23, 2015 called the Dushanbe-Khorog flight as one of the most difficult ones in the world and emphasized that, despite the difficulties, the flight is unprofitable for Tajik Air. Mr. Sattorov assured that except for AN-28, they cannot use any other airliners for this destination.
Currently, one can get to Khorog only by road, which was last paved in the territory of the Gorno Badakhshan Region during the Soviet Union existence in 1980th.
