Tajikistan’s first privately owned air company, Somon Air, is expected to operate the first regular flight to the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, on February 20.

On February 10, the company will operate a test flight to Tashkent with a delegation of the Tajik civil aviation authorities on board.

Until the end of the winter season, Somon Air will operate flights to Tashkent once a week – on Mondays, and starting from the summer season, the company will launch a twice-weekly service to the Uzbek capital – on Mondays and Thursdays, according to the Somon Air press center.  

Recall, Tajik Deputy Minister of Transport, Sherali Ganjalzoda, told reporters in Dushanbe on January 30 that air traffic between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan will be re-launched after the signing of an appropriate government-to-government agreement.

According to him, Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) National Air Company Uzbekistan Airways (O‛zbekiston Havo Yo‛llari) and Tajikistan’s private air carrier, Somon Air, will operate flights between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan Airways top manager Valery Tyan told reporters in Tashkent on January 26 that Uzbek national air company will launch a number of new air routes this year.  Flights between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan will be restored in the near future, Tyan was cited as saying by Gazeta.uz.  “A government-to-government agreement has been finalized and it is now ready for signing,” Tyan said.

“The Uzbek and Tajik civil aviation authorities are currently tackling the issue of avoiding double taxation and visa issues...  We are practically ready to start,” Uzbekistan Airways director general added.

Uzbek news website Podrobno.uz cited Dushanbe international airport on November 30 as saying that that under the agreement for flights to resume between the two countries for the first time in 24 years there will be twice-weekly flights between Dushanbe and Tashkent serviced by Uzbekistan Airways and Tajikistan’s Somoni Air.

On the same day, an Uzbek charter plane made a flight to Dushanbe, setting the model for the way forward.  Both countries reportedly agreed on conditions for transit flights and air cargo traffic.

The air communication between Dushanbe and Tashkent was cut off in 1992 at Tashkent’s initiative and the issue of resumption of the direct air communication between the two countries has been raised at meetings between state officials of the two countries more than once.

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, Nizhnevartovsk, Tuymen and Yekaterinburg); Saudi Arabia (Jeddah); Tajikistan (Khujand); Turkey (Istanbul); Ukraine (Simferopol); and the United Arab Emirates (Dubai).