DUSHANBE, January 25, Asia-Plus — Speaking to journalists at a news conference in Dushanbe, officials from the Tajik State Air Company TajikAir said that Tajik national air carrier plans to raise fares for domestic air routes. They justified the decision as based on rising prices of air fuel.
According to TajikAir, the domestic air routes are unprofitable and the main reason for these routs being unprofitable is fares determined on the basis of the lowest rates. The present rates do not cover the cost of flights on these routes, the TajikAir officials said.
“To improve profitability of these routs we plan to raise fares on these flights soon,” the officials said.
In 2007, TajikAir carried 182,500 passengers on the domestic air routes, which is 25 percent more that in the previous year of 2006.
In all, Tajik state air company last year carried 575,600 passengers, which is 152,800 passengers more than in 2006.
In the meantime, foreign companies operating flights to Tajikistan carried 621,200 passengers, which is 165,800 passengers more than in 2006.
As far as cargo shipments are concerned, TajikAir shipped 2,100.5 tons of cargoes in 2007, reaching only 83 percent of last year’s target determined at 2,530 tons of cargoes.
Tajik national carrier now operates flights to five Russia’s cities (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg and Samara) as well as Almaty (Kazakhstan), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Istanbul (Turkey), Sharjah (United Arab Emirates), Tehran (Iran), and Urumqi (China).
At present TajikAir has four TU-154Ms, seven Yak-40s, four AN-24s, three AN-28s, two AN-28s, and four helicopters MI-8 MTB. Besides, Tajik national carrier now leases two Boeing 737-200s.
