DUSHANBE, April 23, 2010, Asia-Plus — Of the overall quantity of air passenger carriage in the first quarter of this year 123,000 passengers or 42.6 percent have been carried by Tajik Air, which is 9,000 passengers, or 6.9 percent, fewer than in the same period last year, Valery Sahripov, the first deputy director general, Tajik Air, told reporters in Dushanbe on April 22.
Over the report period, 78,400 passengers have been carried on international routes, which is 88.4 percent of the air carriage volume and 10.3 percent fewer than in January-March 2009.
In the meantime, the air carriage volume has increased on domestic air routes. In January-March 2010, Tajik Air has carried 44,600 passengers on the domestic air routes, which is 1,300 passengers more than in the same period last year, Sahripov said.
The Tajik Air deputy director general, Qudratullo Qurbonov, noted that the national air carrier now owed 15 million somoni to Dushanbe Airport, 10 million somoni to Khujand Airport and 3.5 million somoni to Tajikaeronavigatsiya (Tajik air navigation).
In January-March 2010,, 18 foreign airways, including nine Russian air companies, have operated flights to Tajikistan and they have carried 118,000 passenger or 41.2 percent of the overall quantity of air passenger carriage over the report period.
The Tajik Air fleet now includes 35 aircraft; however, only 14 of them are currently operated. Tajik Air has leased two helicopters to Afghan company, CAAS, and two aircraft TU-154 to Iranian air company, Taban Air.
