One of the aircraft belonging to Tajikistan’s national air carrier Tajik Air has been released from arrest in Moscow and sent for repairs. The Boeing 737-300 had been under arrest and parked at Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport since 2019, Tajik Air CEO Parviz Shodmonzoda told Asia-Plus.
According to him, the aircraft was returned to the airline under a settlement agreement approved by the Moscow Arbitration Court on May 21, 2025.
“To prepare the aircraft for a one-time ferry flight to Dushanbe International Airport, the necessary technical work was carried out. The cost of these works exceeded $433,000,” Shodmonzoda said.
In addition, Tajik Air paid more than 12 million rubles in accumulated parking fees at Vnukovo Airport dating back to 2019. The exact date of the aircraft’s transfer to Tajikistan has not yet been specified.
Is Tajik Air returning to the skies?
It remains unclear when Tajik Air will resume international flights. However, according to the airline’s head, there are currently “no restrictions on operating international flights,” and the company no longer has outstanding debts to any country.
Shodmonzoda also said that Tajik Air has held negotiations with a Czech company to acquire two L-410 aircraft, which are expected to be delivered to Dushanbe in April–May.
In addition, negotiations with leasing companies for the rental of four aircraft have been completed. Two of them are scheduled to arrive in April–May, with the remaining two expected in August–September.
The L-410 aircraft are designed to carry 19 passengers, are suitable for both domestic and regional routes to neighboring countries, and can transport up to two tons of cargo.
Last year, Tajik Air also resolved a long-standing dispute with Lithuania-based Skyroad Leasing, to which it owed $36.6 million. Under the settlement agreement, Skyroad Leasing dropped all claims and transferred two aircraft to Tajik Air. These aircraft are currently in Dushanbe and have not been operated since 2013.
Only the An-28 in service
According to Tajik Air, the airline currently operates only one aircraft—the An-28. In 2025, it completed 158 domestic flights, carrying 4,968 passengers and transporting 2,228 kilograms of cargo.
Previously, the airline had resumed routes from Dushanbe to Kulob, Panjakent, Rasht, Khovaling, and Vanj. However, due to weather conditions and low passenger demand on some routes, only the Dushanbe–Khorog flight is currently in operation.
Tajik Air has not operated international flights for nearly seven years due to financial difficulties. Following the resolution of key financial and legal disputes, the national carrier now plans to return to international airspace and resume flights abroad.
