Air traffic between Russia and Tajikistan has not been suspended as a dispute over an air service between the two countries has been settled.

Tajikistan’s civil aviation authorities yesterday just an hour before midnight agreed to temporarily allow flights by Russia’s Yamal Airlines to airports in Dushanbe and Khujand from Zhukovsky International Airport.

Tajik authorities have questioned the legitimacy of the Yamal flights, but agreed to continue talks on the matter after Russia lifted its threat to stop all flights to Tajikistan. 

“To operate regular flights to Tajikistan, Yamal Airlines needs to get official permission from Tajikistan’s civil aviation authorities.  “Yamal Airlines will not be given the permission within the next two months,” a source at Tajikistan’s Ministry of Transport (MoT) said.     

A statement released by the Tajik civil aviation authorities today, in particular, notes that “since the Tajik side has not yet appointed the second air carrier on this route and for the purpose of observing the parity of Tajikistan and Russia in the number of airlines flying between Tajikistan and Moscow, it appears impossible to give operating permit to Yamal Airlines for 2016-2017 winter season.”  

The Tajik and Russian civil aviation authorities are currently conducting negotiations to settle this issue, the source said.  

Recall, Russia has warned that a dispute between Moscow and Dushanbe over Yamal Airlines flights to Tajikistan from Zhukovsky International Airport may lead to the suspension of all flights to Tajikistan.

According to Tajikistan’s MoT, the Russian civil aviation authorities ultimately stated on December 20 that they would suspend flights to Tajikistan from December 22 unless Tajikistan changes its position on the air service between the two countries. 

“We consider such a pressure is unacceptable,” a source at a Mot told Asia-Plus Wednesday afternoon. 

“To get an official permit to operate flights to Tajikistan Yamal Airlines should have coordinated that issue with the Tajik authorities.  This procedure takes 45 days, but Yamal Airlines has begun selling tickets without getting the official permit,” the source added.     

Tajik authorities said allowing the Yamal flights would break the parity of Russia and Tajikistan in the number of airlines allowed flying between Moscow and Tajikistan.  

But Yamal Airlines top managers say that Tajikistan's refusal to allow their airline flights from Zhukovsky is illegal.

Yamal Airlines wants to join Ural Airlines in operating flights to Tajikistan from Zhukovsky International Airport, but Tajikistan’s Ministry of Transport again reminds the Russian side of the necessity of observing parity between Tajik and Russian airlines.

Currently, Tajik national air carrier, Tajik Air, and Russia’s Ural Airlines are operating flights on this route, the minister noted.

As it had been reported earlier, Russia’s Ural Airlines began operating flights to Dushanbe and Khujand from the Zhukovsky airport on November 22.

Following the talks that took place in Moscow on November 7, Tajik and Russian civil aviation authorities agreed to maintain and develop air traffic, and in particular reached an agreement on flights to Tajikistan from Zhukovsky International Airport near Moscow.

According to the Tajik Embassy in Moscow, the two sides reached a compromise allowing Ural Airlines to operate flights from Zhukovsky International Airport to Dushanbe and Khujand twice a week.

In return, Moscow reportedly agreed to open additional destinations for Tajik air carriers in Ufa, Chelyabinsk, and Barnaul.

Besides, Tajik airlines will be allowed to carry more flights from Khujand to St. Petersburg.

The delegation of Tajikistan’s Ministry of Transport arrived in Moscow four days after Russia warned that a dispute between Moscow and Dushanbe over the status of a new Russian international airport may lead to the suspension of all flights to Tajikistan.

Russia's Transport Ministry said on November 3 that it would suspend flights to Tajikistan from November 8 unless Tajik aviation authorities change their position on the Zhukovsky airport near Moscow.

Zhukovsky International Airport was officially opened in May 2016.

Dushanbe called for a revision of existing bilateral agreements on mutual air flights, saying that Zhukovsky is Moscow’s fourth international airport and that it has increased the number of flights from Moscow to Tajikistan.

Meanwhile, Russian civil aviation authorities insisted that Zhukovsky International Airport is not under Moscow’s authority but of the town of Ramenskoye.

Air service between the two countries is currently operated by Tajik air companies Tajik Air and Somon Air, and Russian air carriers UTair, Ural Airlines, Rossiya and S7.

Ural Airlines is an airline based in Yekaterinburg, Russia.  It operates scheduled and chartered domestic and international flights out of Koltsovo International Airport.

Yamal Airlines is an airline based in Salekhard, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia.  It operates regional passenger services and was established in 1997.