Tajik national air carrier is expected to upgrade its air fleet with two Western type aircraft this year.
A regular sitting of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower house of parliament), presided over by its head, Shukurjon Zuhurov, took place on January 31.
The Majlisi Namoyandagon endorsed amendments proposed by the government the country’s law on the national budget for 2018.
The amendments, in particular provide for exempting payment of value added tax (VAT) and customs duties for planes, locomotives and passenger cars being delivered to the country by Tajik Air and Tajik Railways (Tajik national railway company).
Speaking at the session, Tajik Air top manager Khairullo Rahimov noted that Tajik national air carrier plans to upgrade its air fleet with two Western type aircraft this year.
“Besides, eight other planes will appear in our air fleet within the next five years,” Rahimov said.
Tajik Air is also expected to carry mountaineering equipment of foreigners, arriving in Tajikistan for mountain tourism, free of charge.
Tajik national air carrier will also lower the price of air tickets for tourist groups by 5-10 percent this year.
Rahimov told lawmakers that Tajik Air now has only three serviceable planes.
For his part, the deputy head of Tajik Railways, Usmon Qalandarov said that their rolling stock now includes 424 passenger cars but 384 of them will outlive their service life in 2020.
He expressed confidence that tax exemptions will promote development of Tajik railways and renewal of the country’s rolling stock.
Tajik Air (Tajikistan Airlines) is the national airline of Tajikistan. The airline has its main hub at the Dushanbe airport, and it retains a secondary focus point at the Khujand airport.
The company started operations on September 3, 1924 as Tajik Aviation. Its first route was Bukhara to Dushanbe, served by Junkers F-13 aircraft. It is the sixth oldest airline still in operation.
Tajik Air now serves the following destinations: China (Urumqi); India (New Delhi); Iran (Tehran, Mashhad); Kazakhstan (Almaty); Kyrgyzstan (Bishkek); Russia (Moscow, Novosibirsk, St Petersburg, and Surgut); and Tajikistan (Khorog and Khujand).
The Tajik Air management is currently considering potential upgrade of its air fleet with aircraft of modern Western technology.
Until 2008, Tajik Air had an absolute monopoly in Tajikistan’s air transport, owning all planes, airports, and airport and flight services. As a result of restructuring, Tajik Air was split up into several separate companies.
