On Thursday April 10, Dushanbe International Airport suspended operations for more than six hours after a passenger plane operated by Iranian carrier Varesh Airlines veered off the runway during landing.
An official source within the Civil Aviation Agency of Tajikistan told Asia-Plus that the airport resumed normal operations later in the afternoon.
The incident reportedly occurred at 11:40 AM local time, and preliminary information indicates that no one was injured.
“The Boeing 737-500, operating a flight from Tehran to Dushanbe, was unable to land safely due to a sudden deterioration in weather conditions — including heavy hail — and slid off the runway,” the source stated.
Upon landing, the aircraft ran off the runway and obstructed operations, preventing other planes from landing or taking off. As a result, airport activities were temporarily halted.
All flights were redirected to Khujand International Airport in northern Tajikistan.
It wasn’t until 7:00 PM that the plane was successfully towed to the parking area, after which Dushanbe Airport fully resumed operations.
Varesh Airlines is an Iranian airline. It initially concentrated its activities in Mazandaran province, then expanded into the Iranian domestic and international markets when it first served Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Its central hub is in Dasht-e Naz Airport. Varesh Airlines started operations on October 8, 2018, connecting Tehran and Mashhad
