Uzbekistan’s national air carrier, Uzbekistan Airways, has reduced the number of flights from Tashkent to Dushanbe.
Uzbekistan Airways is set to reduce Tashkent-Dushanbe frequencies from two weekly flights to one beginning from June 3, according to Radio Liberty’s Tajik Service.
Uzbekistan Airways’ office in Dushanbe says this decision is not politically motivated. Uzbekistan Airways has reportedly decided to reduce the number of flights to Dushanbe because of insufficient flight load.
Recall, Uzbekistan Airways resumed operating a regular flight from Tashkent to Dushanbe on April 11 this year. It is was first regular flight between Tashkent and Dushanbe since 1992. With the exception of a test flight on February 10, there had been no direct civilian flights between the two capitals since 1992.
The first regular flight from Tashkent to Dushanbe was scheduled for April 4 but it was adjourned the same day until April 11. Uzbekistan Airways has reportedly decided to adjourn the flight because of “insufficient flight load.”
The flight between Dushanbe and Tashkent scheduled for February 23 was also canceled. The Dushanbe International Airport failed to name the reason why the flight did not take place.
Before that Uzbekistan canceled the first regular flight between Dushanbe and Tashkent scheduled for February 20.
Uzbekistan Airways has sent a letter to the Tajik aviation authorities laying all the blame at Tajikistan’s privately owned air carrier, Somon Air.
The letter, in particular, argued that Somon Air had filed a request to effect charter flights and not regular scheduled flights. It also claimed it only received the official paperwork authorizing the route on February 19, one day before the flight. That gave the insufficient time to adopt a decision, as the matter had to be considered by security services and air defense officials, the letter said.
The letter also noted that in order to operate scheduled flights one must obtain a form, which is issued for flight operations throughout the air navigation season. In addition, Tashkent has not yet opened an office of Somon Air and, accordingly, sale of tickets was not organized in Uzbekistan.
The sales manager of Somon Air company, Alisher Rustamov, and several of his subordinates have been fired over the cancelation of the regular flight between Dushanbe and Tashkent.
Somon Air said on February 21 that Alisher Rustamov and his subordinates were fired after an internal investigation revealed the company had failed to provide the Tashkent airport with the necessary documents to resume the service as of February 20.
