Tajikistan plans to organize more than 10 additional charter flights to repatriate Tajik nationals stranded in the Russian Federation due to the coronavirus pandemic.
All the additional flights will be operated in July, a source within the Tajik government told Asia-Plus in an interview.
According to him, they are currently considering the issue of organizing additional charter flights from various cities of Russia.
“The schedule of flights has been sent for coordination to the Russian side. If the Russian authorities agree, more than 10 additional charter flights will be operated,” the source said.
As it had been reported earlier, starting from June 25, Tajik air carriers are operating eight charter flights to repatriate Tajik nationals stranded in the Russian Federation due coronavirus crisis.
Tajik national air carrier Tajik Air and Tajikistan’s privately owned air carrier Somon Air are operating four charter flights each to bring Tajik nationals from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Novosibirsk and Yekaterinburg.
According to the Tajik Embassy in Moscow, the first charter flight that was operated on June 25 brought 216 Tajik nationals to Dushanbe from Moscow. The air ticket for the flight reportedly cost 300 euros and children between five and eleven received a 50% discount.
Recall, special commissions have been set up at the Tajik Embassy in Moscow and Tajik Consulates in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Ufa to compile lists of passengers for the charter flights. Priority is given to pregnant women, women with young children, elderly people, students and those who had traveled to Russia on official business and had been stranded there due to the coronavirus crisis.
Everyone else will have to wait for reopening of regular air service between Tajikistan and the Russian Federation.
Meanwhile, the Tajik Embassy and General Consulates in the Russian Federation have temporarily suspended registration of passengers for those eight charter flights.
The Tajik Embassy in Moscow justifies this decision by saying that the number of people wishing to return to Tajikistan exceeds the number of seats available on the planned charter flights
Flights from and to Tajikistan were suspended on March 20 for the purpose of preventing the spreading of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) to the country.
The Russian Federation suspended air services Air service with other countries on March 27.
Since late May, Tajikistan has organized several charter flights to repatriate its nationals who were unable to return home due to Covid19 crisis and closure of airports in both Tajikistan and the Russia.
