One more Russian airline -- PJSC Aeroflot – Russian Airlines – has begun operating charter flights from Tajikistan to Russia.

The Civil Aviation Agency of Tajikistan says Aeroflot has got permission to operate charter flights from Tajikistan to the Russian Federation.  “To-date, Aeroflot has operated two flights from Dushanbe to Moscow – on June 22 and 23,” a source within the Civil Aviation Agency told Asia-Plus Thursday (June 24).

According to him, after operating those two flights the airline has not yet applied for operation of other flights.  

“If Aeroflot applies for flights, it will get a flight permit without hindrance,” the source added.  

Currently, charter flights are operated from Tajikistan to 33 cities in the Russian Federation, while regular flights are operated only from Dushanbe to Moscow.  

PJSC Aeroflot – Russian Airlines, commonly known as Aeroflot, is the flag carrier and largest airline of the Russian Federation.  The airline was founded in 1923, making Aeroflot one of the oldest active airlines in the world.  Aeroflot is headquartered in the Central Administrative Okrug, Moscow, with its hub being Sheremetyevo International Airport. The airline flies to 146 destinations in 52 countries, excluding codeshared services.

Following the dissolution of the USSR, the carrier was restructured into an open joint-stock company and embarked on a radical transformation process.  Aeroflot shrank the fleet dramatically while at the same time purchasing Western aircraft and newer domestic models and focusing on expanding its international market share before moving to boost its domestic market share.

Aeroflot owns Rossiya Airlines – an airline based in Saint Petersburg, Pobeda – a low-cost carrier, and 51% of airline Aurora, based in the Russian Far East.  Altogether, Aeroflot and its subsidiaries own 359 aircraft as of 31 December 2019, composed mainly of Airbus, Boeing, and domestic models such as the Sukhoi Superjet 100. Aeroflot also formerly had a cargo subsidiary named Aeroflot-Cargo, though the branch later merged with the parent airline.