The Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan has declared its agreement with the Russian aviation authorities, as regards the issue related with flights for Russian airlines from Zhukovsky airport, Russia, to Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
Sherali Gandzhalzoda, Minister of Transport, Tajikistan, informed the Asia-Plus News Agency, Tajikistan, that the Tajik side has agreed for the flights of Russian airlines from Zhukovsky airport to the capital city of Tajikistanwith a frequency of twice a week. “This is how the Russians initially wanted”, the Minister said.
“It was not a serious problem, at first we simply did not agree because of the unsolved problems of passenger air traffic and the lack of road infrastructure in the area of the new airport, but they needed these two flights a week, and we have agreed on this issue by means of aviation regulations. Instead, they have provided an opportunity for our airlines to operate additional flights to Russia’s St. Petersburg and Chelyabinsk”, Mr. Gandzhalzoda said.
Meanwhile, according to the Tajik Embassy in Russia, “in the course of negotiations, the parties came to a compromise agreement to use the Zhukovsky airport in the parity basis”.
The Embassy’s statement stressed, that “in this way, one has obtained reciprocal permission to fly from the Zhukovsky airport with a frequency of two flights a week for both Russian and Tajik air carriers”.
The Embassy noted that the existing flights from Moscow’s Domodedovo and Vnukovo airports to Tajik Dushanbe and Khujand will be operated in full.
“Also, as a result of negotiations, an agreement was reached to launch previously closed for Tajik air carriers destinations to such Russian cities, as Ufa, Chelyabinsk and Barnaul and provide an additional flight en route Khujand, Tajikistan – Saint Petersburg, Russia, for one of the Tajik air carriers”, the Tajik Embassy noted.
Earlier, one reported that Russiamay suspend air communication with Tajikistan on November 8, 2016. On Friday, the delegation of the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan flew to Moscow for talks.
The Tajik side insisted to hold consultations in Dushanbeon November 24th but since Russia adopted a flight schedule for Tajik air carriers only until November 8th, the Tajik side had nothing more to do but to go to the negotiations earlier.
On November 4, 2016 the Tajik Transport Ministry issued an official statement on its position on the issue of air traffic with Moscow. One reported then that the Tajik side has no claims to Russian airlines. However, the Tajik aviation authorities refuse to take the aircraft from the new Zhukovsky airport, because they consider it, as the airport of the Moscow air hub.