DUSHANBE, May 4, Asia-Plus -  The press release, in particular, says the antimonopoly commission accuses the air carrier of ignoring its ruling obligating the airline to lower individual airfares for flights to the Russian cities.   “The antimonopoly agency’s ruling does not fit in with real calculations,” says the statement by the airline, “The prices of tickets set by the antimonopoly agency’s ruling – US$250 for the flight Dushanbe-Moscow and US$200 for the flight Moscow-Dushanbe – are unprofitable for the airline.  Under such rates it will be unprofitable for the airline to be engaged in conveyance of passengers and shipment of cargoes and the airline will have to function only as airport that violates requirements of the country’s law “On State-owned Enterprises” and will destructively impact the airline’s infrastructure.” 

In order to fill in disparity and cover the fuel expenses the national airline has raised the tickets prices, without exceeding the basic tariff set by the antimonopoly agency – US$550 for the flights from Dushanbe to Moscow and back, the statement says.  

The Tajik air carrier considers that the antimonopoly misunderstood the airline’s acts and the agency has to take into consideration that lowering prices in the heat of the season will negatively impact the national carrier, making its activity unprofitable, while other air companies conducting flights to Tajikistan will have an opportunity to freely regulate tariffs, increasing their capitals, according to the press release.

“An absurd logic of the antimonopoly commission allows foreign air companies increasing quantity of passenger transportation and raising efficiency of their flights,” the press release says, noting that the antimonopoly agency that named the airline monopolist on the market of air services in Tajikistan is not well aware of the situation on the market in Tajikistan, where 18 air companies have operated since 2003.  “Beside the “Tojikiston” company, a private air company “Samar Air” is conducting domestic flights inside the republic,” the statement pointed.