Air travel between Khujand, Tajikistan, and Kashgar, China, has officially resumed, according to the Civil Aviation Agency of Tajikistan.

The first renewed flight on this route was operated on July 1 by the Chinese carrier Chengdu Airlines.

The airline will now operate weekly flights every Tuesday between the two cities.  The journey takes approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes.

Delayed relaunch after initial announcement

Although the aviation authority had previously announced in March 2025 that flights on this route would commence on April 15, the service was delayed by more than two months.  No explanation for the postponement has been provided.

The Khujand–Kashgar route was originally launched in 2024 but was later suspended without official clarification on the reasons.

Growing air connectivity with China

This development comes shortly after the June 16 relaunch of direct flights between Dushanbe and Beijing, following a long suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That route is now operated by China Southern Airlines, with twice-weekly flights on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Departures from Beijing: 17:00 (local time), arrival in Dushanbe at 21:00

Return flights from Dushanbe: 22:30, arriving in Beijing at 07:20 the next day

Flight time: around 7 hours to Dushanbe, 6 hours on return.

Prior to the pandemic, Dushanbe–Urumqi was the only consistently operating route between Tajikistan and China.

The resumption of direct air links with Kashgar and Beijing marks an important step toward revitalizing regional connectivity and boosting trade, tourism, and cultural exchange between Tajikistan and China.