Air tickets for charter flights to repatriate Tajik nationals stranded in Russia will be sold strictly by list, Tajik Ambassador to Russia Imomuddin Sattorov told Asia-Plus in an interview.  Everyone else will have to wait for reopening of regular air services between the two counties, Tajik diplomat noted. 

According to him, special commissions set up at the Tajik Embassy in Moscow and Tajik Consulates in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Ufa are currently compiling lists of passengers for the charter flights.   

The ambassador noted that priority would be given to pregnant women, women with young children, elderly people, students and those who had traveled to Russia on official business and had been stranded there due to the coronavirus crisis.  

“Everyone else will have to reopening of regular air service between Tajikistan and the Russian Federation,” Sattorov said.  

He further noted that more than 1,000 people had already signed up for the charter flights.  

“The prices for air tickets will be determined by air companies operating these flights,” Tajik diplomat added.  

Asked about the date for reopening of regular flights between Tajikistan and Russia, Sattorov said that it depended on the epidemiological situation.  

Meanwhile, Radio Ozodi says the first of five charter flights to repatriate Russian nationals was operated by Russia’s Ural Airlines from Dushanbe on June 22.  218 people, the majority of them are Tajik nationals with dual citizenship, where reportedly brought to Novosibirsk and Yekaterinburg. 

The next four flights will also be operated this month: two of them will be operated to Moscow; one to Kazan; and another one to St. Petersburg.