DUSHANBE, February 4, Asia-Plus — Tajik private air carrier Somon Air has we-leased Boeing 737-800.
Mirzo Mastongulov, Director General of Somon Air, told Asia-Plus on Monday that the aircraft had been leased for operating on international air routes. According to him, the leased Boeing is expected to make its first flight on the route Dushanbe-Moscow tomorrow, February 5.
The Somon Air director General noted that the company’s pilots, air engineers and stewards would take training courses outside the country in the near future.
“At present the Turkish crew operates the aircraft,” Mastongulov said, adding that passenger fares on the flights operated by Somon Air would not exceed fares set by the country’s national air carrier.
On the future plans of Somon Air, he noted that they would increase their flying stock this year. Besides Moscow, Somon Air plans to operate fights also to Almaty (Kazakhstan), Istanbul (Turkey), Sharjah (the United Arab Emirates) and Urumqi (China).
“Produced in 2003, the leased Boeing 373-800 will operate some 10 flights per week,” Mastongulov said.
The first Tajik private air carrier Somon Air was established in 2005. However, it has not yet operated because of lack of its own aircraft.
Boeing 373-800 is one of the newest members of the Boeing 737 family along with -600, -700 and -900 models. They continue the 737”s pre-eminence as the world”s most popular and reliable commercial jet transport.
The 737-800 is a stretched version of the 737-700, and replaces the 737-400. It also filled the gap left by Boeing”s discontinuation of the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 after Boeing”s merger with McDonnell Douglas. The -800 was launched by Hapag-Lloyd Flug (now TUlfly) in 1994 and entered service in 1998. The 737-800 seats 162 passengers in a two class layout, or 189 in one class, and competes with the A320. For many airlines in the U.S., the 737-800 replaced aging Boeing 7237-200 trijets.
The 737 family has won orders for more than 6,000 airplanes, which is more airplanes than The Boeing Company”s biggest competitor has won for its entire product line since it began business. The 737 – a short-to-medium-range airplane – is based on a key Boeing philosophy of delivering added value to airlines with reliability, simplicity and reduced operating and maintenance costs.
