DUSHANBE, December 7, Asia-Plus — 3,310 Tajik pilgrims have flown to Saudi Arabia to this day, Asia-Plus has learned at Tajik State Air Company TajikAir.
The source at Tajik national air carrier said that 20 special flights have been operated to Saudi Arabia by December 7. 10 of them have been operated by Afghan private air carrier Kam Air and 10 others by TajikAir.
“TajikAir’s planes carry our pilgrims to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Kam Air carries them from there to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,” the TajikAir source said.
We will recall that the first group of Tajik pilgrims flew to Saudi Arabia on November 27. From November 27 to December 11, 31 special flights will be operated to Saudi Arabia. Under agreement between TajikAir and Afghan private air carrier Kam Air, Kam Air’s aircraft McDonnell Douglas MD-82 and MD-83 will carry Tajik pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Arabia government has allotted Tajikistan a quota of 5,000 pilgrims for this year.
According to official website of Kam Air, it was established in November 2003 and became the first private airline in Afghanistan. Kam Air started with a single aircraft and a single route, Kabul to Dubai. However, the company could expand quickly and soon added several new and equally popular destinations. Today, Kam Air offers a total of eight different routes to countries throughout the region, including India, Iran, Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates. Kam Air launched the first light to Dushanbe on August 12 this year.
