Tajikistan is seeking to protect its civil aviation market by refusing from flights from Zhukovsky airport, Mahmadyusuf Rakhmonov, CEO, Civil Aviation Department under the Tajik Ministry of Transport, announced on Thursday to the Khovar News Agency, Tajikistan.
He stressed, “By refusing from additional frequencies (flights), Tajikistanprotects its civil aviation market, because our carriers have obligations to lessors. The new airport in Zhukovsky greatly affects the civil aviation market of our country, as there is no proper amount of air transportation, even as regards the air routes, on which air companies presently operate their flights, there is no one hundred percent load capacity”.
Mr. Rakhmonov said that the last round of talks, held in Moscow in late May, had no results, the parties failed to reach an agreement. According to him, it is necessary to revise the agreements for the admission of aircraft from Zhukovsky to fly to Dushanbe. “At the moment, our Ministry of Transport prepared and sent a letter, in which we invite the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation to arrive in Dushanbe on the final negotiations on this issue, but we have not received a response so far”, he said.
At the same time, Valery Okulov, Deputy Transport Minister, Russia, told journalists in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan(SCO Summit): “We have confirmed a nomination for Tajik airlines to fly according to the winter flight schedule until November 8th. Prior to this time, the permit is legal, as this is appointment. I hope that common sense of Tajik aviation authorities will prevail." “Further options may be different, and consultations are necessary between the ministries of transport of the two countries”, Mr. Okulov concluded.
The Russian Ministry of Transport reported earlier to the TASS News Agency, Russia, that Russia may suspend air communication with Tajikistansince November 8th if Tajik authorities do not change their position on the airport in Zhukovsky.
According to this Ministry, the Tajik authorities do not want to take the flights of Russian air companies from Zhukovsky, since they refer this airport to the Moscowaviation hub, while according to the Russian legislation, the airport in Zhukovsky was added to Ramensky air hub in the Moscow Region. International flights from theMoscow aviation hub are covered by the bilateral agreements, which imply parity terms of air carriages between the two countries, the Russian Ministry of Transport added. Earlier, the adviser of the Tajik Embassy in Russia Bakhti Sarvar reported TASS that Tajikistan considers it necessary to conclude a new agreement on air communication with Russia and offers to hold a meeting for representatives of concerned departments in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on November 24, 2016.
