DUSHANBE, July 22, 2011, Asia-Plus — Tajik national air carrier, Tajik Air, has reduced volumes of air fuel purchased in Tajikistan and reached an agreement with Kazakh partners on refueling its planes in Kazakhstan, the Tajik Air director general Muzaffar Ishoqov announced at news conference in Dushanbe on July 21.
“We have reached an agreement with our partners in Kazakhstan that some our planes that operate flights to Russia will land for refueling in Kazakhstan,” said Ishoqov, “Difference in price is tangible; one ton of air fuel in Tajikistan costs US$2,000, while the price of one ton of air fuel in Kazakhstan is not more than US$800.”
According to him, tax and customs duties account for 35 percent of total expenses on fuel in Tajikistan. “It is a very high percentage.”
“Airport service fees in Tajikistan are as high as the fees in the European countries, while our neighbors offer lower prices,” said the Tajik Air top manager, “We save money while refueling our planes in Kazakhstan, though we pay air navigation and airport service fee.”
Despite 7.9 percent decline in air traffic, Tajik Air’s gross receipt for the first six months of this year has amounted to 283 million somoni, which is 20 percent more in the same period last year. The company’s expenses over the same six-month period have been little more than 250 million somoni and net profit for the report period has amounted to 33 million somoni. In January-June 2011, Tajik Air accounted for 30.3 percent of Tajikistan’s air traffic, Ishoqov said.
