DUSHANBE , July 27, Asia-Plus - Hokimsho Tilloyev, Director General of Tajik State Air Company “Tojikiston”, told a news conference in Dushanbe on July 27 that they do intend to resume an international flight Dushanbe-Delhi.

According to him, this flight that has been operational for three years is not profitable.  “Our company has incurred serious financial losses for unpredictability of this flight,” said Mr. Tilloyev, “The plane Tupolev-154 with the capacity of 167 seats conducts this flight, while usually there are no more than 30 passengers on a board.”  Those interested to fly Delhi may fly to Sharja (the United Arab Emirates ), which daily conducts several flights to Delhi .  

Among the profitable flights the Tajik air carrier chief named flights to the Russian cities of Moscow , Novosibirsk , Yekaterinburg and Samara.  “Numbers of passengers on these flights are increasing seasonally – in springs and autumns, when Tajik labor migrants go to and return from the Russian Federation ,” Hokimsho Tilloyev.  

In January-June of this year, Tajik air carrier has conveyed 201,200 passengers, which is 17.1 percent fewer compared to the same period of 2005, according to Hokimsho Tilloyev.

Tajik specialists link a reduction in the overall quantity of passengers conveyed by “Tojikiston” to competitions on international air routes, where the majority of passengers are conveyed by foreign air companies conducting flights to our republic.  The other reason for this is the fact that many planes of Tajik air carrier have outlived their service life.  

At present 21 foreign air companies, including 13 from Russia, two from Kyrgyzstan, one from Kazakhstan and four others from far abroad, are conducting flights to Tajikistan.