Tajik civil aviation authorities held an extraordinary meeting today to discuss prices for tickets on charter flights from Tajikistan to Russia.
The meeting participants included Civil Aviation Agency director Ikrom Subhonzoda, Tajikistan Transportation Prosecutor Saidmurod Qodirzoda, Deputy Chief of the Interior Ministry Transportation Police Directorate Zoir Kamolzoda, as well as representatives of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) and Russian airlines Ural Airlines, UTair, S7 Airlines, and Northwind Airlines.
Tajik civil aviation authorities demanded that Russian airlines reduce ticket prices for air tickets on charter prices within the next two days.
For example, they propose to lower passenger fare on the charter flight from Dushanbe to Moscow from 15,000 somonis to 5,000 somonis.
If the passenger fares on charter flights from Tajikistan to Russia are not lowered, the Civil Aviation Agency of Tajikistan reserves the right to take appropriate measures regarding permission for these charter flights, Civil Aviation Agency Director Ikrom Subhonzoda told Asia-Plus in an interview.
The country’s civil aviation authorities also asked the law enforcement authorities to take adequate measure to regulate prices for air tickets and prevent unjustified air ticket price increase.
Currently, Russian airlines operate more than 20 charter flights from Tajikistan to Russia per week.
Meanwhile, only two regular flights from Dushanbe to Moscow are operated per week. The Civil Aviation Agency, in agreement with Somon Air and Utair, which operate regular flights on this air route, has reportedly set the round-trip air ticket for the Dushanbe-Moscow flight at the amount equal to 500 U.S. dollars.
The rate depends on passenger traffic; for example, if passenger traffic on the flight from Dushanbe to Moscow is high, the airlines may set the ticket price at US$300 or US$350 and the price for ticket for the return flight (from Moscow to Dushanbe) at US$150, but the round-trip air ticket for the Dushanbe-Moscow flight must not exceed US$500.
Tajik migrant workers are desperate to return to Russia, but skyrocketing prices for plane tickets are preventing them from going.
Large crowds of people have gathered outside the central air ticket office in Dushanbe every day since late March, when Russia reopened its borders to Tajiks.
