Flights to Khorog, the capital of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), have been resumed at the request of GBAO governor Yodgor Fayzov.
Earlier, Dushanbe International Airport (DIA) had prohibited PACTEC International Company from operating flights to Khorog demanding concluding an agreement and paying 101 USD for each landing at Khorog airport.
At the request of GBAO governor Yodgor Fayzov DIA has permitted PACTEC International Company to operate flights to Khorog free of charge. But it is not forever.
Mr. Fayzov told Asia-Plus that he had applied to the Ministry of Transport and high-ranking state officials of the country so that DIA would permit PACTEC International Company to operate flights to Khorog without paying for landing at Khorog airport.
“Dushanbe International Airport has met our halfway and permitted PACTEC International Company to operate flights to Khorog free of charge,” GBAO governor said.
Current price of air ticket is 1,100 somoni.
Recall, Tajikistan PACTEC Intentional operates flights to Khorog from the military airfield in Fakhrobod. The flight is operated by a private six-seat plane of PACTEC International Company on Tuesdays and Thursdays. People can purchase air tickets in the company’s office in Dushanbe.
The company is currently collaborating with the Ministry of Defense of Tajikistan in order to operate flights from the Fakhrobod airfield.
As it had been reported earlier, Tajik national air carrier, Tajik Air, suspended flights from Dushanbe to Khorog in October 2016. Before that, the flights to Khorog were carried out by a sole remained Antonov-28 in the Tajik Air’s fleet. The price of air ticket for the Dushanbe-Khorog flight operated by Tajik Air was 681 somoni.
On July 8, 2015, a group of citizens released an open letter asking President Emomali Rahmon to assist in resolving the issue of streamlining Dushanbe– Khorog – Dushanbe flights.
The appeal, which was signed by more than 140 citizens, asked the president to promote regularity of flights, improve their quality and safety, as well as establish affordable air ticket prices based on the solvency of the population, as these people use the services provided by the airport in Dushanbe.
In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, Faizullo Sattorov, the then Deputy Director General, Tajik Air, on July 23, 2015 called the Dushanbe-Khorog flight as one of the most difficult ones in the world and emphasized that, despite the difficulties, the flight is unprofitable for Tajik Air. Mr. Sattorov assured that except for AN-28, they cannot use any other airliners for this destination.
