Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have reached an agreement on resumption of bilateral regular air flights between their capitals.
The regular flights between Dushanbe and Tashkent will begin next week, according to the Civil Aviation Agency under the Government of Tajikistan.
“In connection with improvement of the coronavirus situation in both countries and based on government’s resolution, the Standing Committee on COVID-19 Response of Tajikistan has allowed resuming regular flights between Dushanbe and Tashkent,” Ikrom Subhonzoda, Director of the Civil Aviation Agency under the Government of Tajikistan, told Asia-Plus in an interview.
According to him, both side are now ready to re-launch regular flights and “tickets will be available soon.”
Tajikistan’s privately owned air carrier Somon Air and the flag carrier airline of Uzbekistan Oʻzbekiston Havo Yoʻllari (Uzbekistan Airways) will operate regular flights between Dushanbe and Tashkent. Somon Air will operate flights on Fridays and Oʻzbekiston Havo Yoʻllari will operate flights on Wednesdays.
“Each of the air carriers will operate one flight a week,” the Civil Aviation Agency top manager said.
Passengers on these flights must have a certificate showing the negative result of COVID-19, obtained by testing by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, and made no earlier than 72 hours (3 days) prior to arrival.
Air traffic between Tajikistan and Dushanbe was suspended on March 16, 2020.
Recall, 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).
