Tajik national air carrier resumes flights after half a year idle

AKIPRESS.COM - Tajik national air carrier, Tajik Air, has reportedly resumed flights after half a year idle.
Tajik Air's Boeing 767 carried a group of Tajik Hajj pilgrims from Khujand to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on July 26, the Director of the Civil Aviation Agency under the Government of Tajikistan, Ikrom Subhonzoda, told Asia-Plus in an interview.
According to him, they are carrying out works on resuming flights and establishing stable operation of the company.
He further noted that a special commission had determined the total value of the company's illiquid assets - about $4 million.
Meanwhile, Tajik Air Director General Dilshod Ismatullozoda notes that the company now has five aircraft and one helicopter. Of the total number of planes, only one is in good condition - Boeing 767, which is currently carrying Tajik Hajj pilgrims.
"Two aircraft are currently in overhaul - one in Moscow, Russia and another one in Sharjah (the United Arab Emirates)," Ismatullozoda said, noting that two other planes (Boeing 757 and Antonov-28) and helicopter Mi-48 are now in Dushanbe.
Recall, Tajik Air suspended it operations early this year, stopping flights practically on all air routes. Some experts even noted that it could not be ruled out that the company would be declared bankrupt with further handover to private hands.
Tajik Air has been experiencing various problems for a long time but they showed up more sharply ahead of the New Year holidays, when the airlines began postponing flights for several days. On January 1, the carrier announced it was cancelling flights on its Dushanbe-Moscow route until the end of January. Since then, the scale of Tajik Air's troubles has only deepened, and the airline was forced to make changes to its flight schedule. Tajik Air then sent its staff members on leave without pay.