Tajikistan and China are discussing the launch of new passenger and cargo air routes. The focus is on air routes connecting Dushanbe to Beijing and Xi’an, according to the Civil Aviation Agency of Tajikistan.
On May 13, the Director of the Civil Aviation Agency, Habibullo Nazarzoda, held talks in Dushanbe with a delegation from China's aviation sector.
The delegation members reportedly included representatives from the China Air Transport Association, Tianshan International Airport in Urumqi, COMAC Corporation, and the China Southern airline holding.
According to the Civil Aviation Agency, the parties discussed expanding flight destinations and deepening cooperation in cargo transportation. They reportedly also addressed collaboration in the aviation industry.
The agency emphasized that such meetings help increase the competitiveness of Tajikistan's civil aviation sector and open new opportunities for international partnerships.
It is worth noting that Tajikistan and China have discussed the resumption of direct flights between Dushanbe and Beijing on multiple occasions. This issue was also raised on March 11 during a meeting between the Agency's head and the Chinese Ambassador to Tajikistan, Ji Shumin.
The Dushanbe–Beijing route was launched in 2016, with weekly flights on Mondays. Tajikistan’s national air carrier, Tajik Air, operated this flight using a Boeing 757. The flight time was 5 hours and 30 minutes.
However, due to low passenger demand, the flights were suspended after just three months. They resumed in 2017 but were canceled again shortly afterward.
Since early 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, direct flights between Tajikistan and China have been suspended.
Only flights to Urumqi were restored, but not to Beijing.
A representative of teh Civl Aviation Agency noted in 2022 that agreements were reached to resume flights between Dushanbe and Beijing. However, the process has been delayed.
Currently, there is a flight on the Dushanbe–Urumqi route, and since 2024, a Khujand–Kashgar flight has been operated by the Chinese airline Chandu Airlines. This flight runs once a week, with a flight time of 1.5 hours.
