DUSHANBE, June 20, 2016, Asia-Plus — Chief Executive (CEO) of Somon Air airline has been replaced.
Mr. Thomas W. Hallam II has been appointed CEO of Somon Air, replacing Mr. Eugenio Jaime Manzano, who helmed Somonoi Air since May 2015.
Prior to the appointment, Mr. Thomas W. Hallam II was the Flight Operations Director for Somon Air.
Captain Hallam began his Aviation career in the United States Air Force in 1972. After graduating from Flight Training, he flew the USAF supersonic fighters F-101 and F-102. He joined Delta Air Lines in 1978 where he remained for 28 years. After retiring from Delta Air Lines, Captain Hallam was the Senior Manager of Flight Operations and the Senior Manager of Simulation and EVPT for Air Astana in Almaty, Kazakhstan from 2007 -2011.
Until recently, Captain Hallam held the position of Flight Examiner for Delta Air Lines under the approval of the FAA, where he qualified Delta Pilots according to FAA regulations.
He was the first Designated Inspector (non-Aruba citizen) for the Aruba Department of Civil Aviation, reporting to the Director, where he certified B-767ER aircraft in normal route and ETOPS operations for Aruba DCA and certified all Flight Examiners for its operation.
Mr. Thomas W. Hallam II is the third foreign specialist to helm Tajikistan’s first private air carrier. HE replaced Mr. Eugenio Jaime Manzano, and Mr. Lloyd Paxton had worked as Chief Executive of Somon Air from October 2012 to May 2015.
Somon Air is the first private airline in Tajikistan with an office headquartered in Dushanbe. The airline operations are based at Dushanbe International Airport. The airline started operating on February 5, 2008 with regular flights to Moscow and Dubai.
Somon Air also serves as the official carrier of President of the Republic of Tajikistan and other Tajikistan high-ranking officials.
Since formation, Somon Air has been primarily focused on passenger service and transportation to Eastern Europe and other locations. Most flights to international destinations operate from Dushanbe.
The airline uses the Boeing 737 in its fleet. Somon Air now operates 2 Boeing 737-300s, 2 Boeing 737-800s and 2 Boeing 737-900ERs.
Somon Air now operates to the following destinations: Afghanistan (Kabul); China (Urumqi); Germany (Frankfurt am Main); Kazakhstan (Almaty); Pakistan (Lahore); Russia (Irkutsk, Khanty-Mansisysk, Kazan, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, Orenburg, St. Petersburg, Simferopol, Sochi, Nizhnevartovsk, Novosibirsk, Tuymen and Yekaterinburg); Saudi Arabia (Jeddah); Tajikistan (Khujand); Turkey (Istanbul); and the United Arab Emirates (Dubai).
