The head of the Civil Aviation Agency under the Government of Tajikistan, Dilshod Safarzoda, told reporters in Dushanbe on January 31 that Tajikistan’s national air carrier, Tajik Air, does not have appropriate plane to operate flights to Khorog, the capital of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).
According to him, they are currently conducting negotiations on purchasing a suitable plane. “A special attention is paid to the financial issue,” Safarzoda said, noting that an important aspect is the presence of a low-consumption engine.
“Khorog is not a big city and the main expenses there are related to fuel and salaries. Costs for air navigation and Khorog airport services are relatively low,” the Civil Aviation Agency head said.
According to Safarzoda, fuel costs account for about 50-60% of the total amount.
Recall, Tajik Air suspended flights on this air route in October 2016. Before that, the flights to Khorog were carried out by a sole remained Antonov-28 in the Tajik Air’s fleet. This plane outlived its service life a long time ago. The price of air ticket for the Dushanbe-Khorog flight operated by Tajik Air was 681 somonis.
In 2019, Tajikistan PACTEC International Company operated several flights to Khorog from the military airfield in Fakhrobod, using a private six-seat plane. The price for the ticket was 1,100 somonis (In 2019, the exchange rate of the US dollar against the Tajik national currency, the somoni, was about 1:9.4).
Dushanbe International Airport (DIA) in June the same year prohibited PACTEC International Company from operating flights to Khorog demanding concluding an agreement and paying 101 USD for each landing at Khorog airport.
On June 16, 2020, Tajik Air resumed flights from Dushanbe to Khorog for a while, using its Antonov-28. The air ticket for the Dushanbe-Khorog flight cost 990 somonis. Children between five and eleven received a 50% discount and children under five traveled free. (In June 2020, the exchange rate of US dollar against the somoni was 1:10.3).
Last year, the GBAO authorities announced the resumption of flights on the Dushanbe-Khorog air route and the use of L410 NG plane for operating the Dushanbe-Khorog flight.
Czech aircraft manufacturing company, Aircraft Industries, demonstrated its multi-purpose aircraft L 410 NG at Dushanbe International Airport on February 27, 2023.
Representatives of the government, top managers of Tajik civil aviation structures and journalists were able to evaluate the aircraft during the flight. A demonstration flight was held for them. Unfortunately, it was the first and last flight of L 410 NG in Tajikistan.
Tajikistan’s privately owned airline Somon Air has considered the possibility of purchasing several such aircraft. In January 2023, the airline delegation visited the Czech Republic to get acquainted with the process of production of L 410 NG planes at the LET Aircraft Industries plant and discuss issues related to training of Somon Air’s technical personnel. However, Somon Air then turned out to buy this aircraft.
