The regular air traffic between Dushanbe and Tashkent may resume in late January or early February, Ikrom Subhonzoda, Director of the Civil Aviation Agency under the Government of Tajikistan, told Asia-Plus Thursday afternoon.
“The coronavirus situation has improved in both countries and Uzbek civil aviation authorities have recently notified us that they are ready to resume regular flights. Previously, we and our Uzbek colleagues had planned to resume the regular air traffic between our countries in erly March, but now both sides are ready to resume regular flights in late January,” Subhonzoda noted.
According to him, they have submitted the proposal of Uzbek colleagues for consideration to the Standing Committee on COVID-19 Response. “We are currently waiting for decision of the Standing Committee on COVID-19 Response,” the Civil Aviation Agency top manager said.
As soon as the Standing Committee on COVID-19 Response makes a positive decision, we will resume the regular flights between the two countries, Subhonzoda added.
Recall, the Civil Aviation Agency of Tajikistan in mid-October received the go-ahead to resume flights to Tashkent. A source within the Civil Aviation Agency confirmed at the time that they had got permission from the Standing Committee on COVID-19 Response to resume regular flights to Uzbekistan. According to him, their Uzbek colleagues also got permission.
The regular air traffic between Dushanbe and Tashkent was supposed to reopen on November 1, 2020 but it was postponed until January 1, 2021 due to the coronavirus crisis.
Last month, the resumption of flights between Dushanbe and Tashkent was postponed again. A source within the Tajik government told Asia-Plus on December 21 that the exact date of the resumption of the flights has not yet been determined. “Most likely, the regular air traffic between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will resume closer to spring,” the source noted.
Air traffic between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan has been suspended since March 16, 2020.
Tajik authorities have suspended all international flights. Tajikistan closed all its airports at midnight on March 19-20 due to the coronavirus concerns. Only charters flights to repatriate Tajik nationals stranded in foreign countries due to the coronavirus crisis have been operated so far.
To-date, Tajikistan has resumed regular flights to Dubai (United Arab Emirates) and Istanbul (Turkey).
