DUSHANBE, February 9, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- Russia’s air carrier, UTair, announced that it will launch once-weekly service from Rostov am Don (Russia) to Khujand, the capital of Tajik Sughd province, beginning on February 20.

The flight will be operated on Sundays and the company will use Boeing 737-500 to operate the flight.  A ticket for the flight will cost 19,393 Russian rubles (equivalent to 2,943 somoni or US$668.00).

OJSC UTair Aviation (commonly known as UTair) is an airline based in Khanty Mansiysk, Russia.  It operates scheduled domestic and some international passenger services, scheduled helicopter services (e.g. from Surgut) plus extensive charter flights with fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters in support of the oil and gas industry across Western Siberia.  UTair is also involved with relief operations for the United Nations.  Its main base is at Roshchino International Airport (TJM).  The UTair Aviation fleet comprises more than 350 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters such An-2s, AN-24s, Boeing 737-500s, Tu-134s, TU-154s, Yakovlev-40s and various type helicopters.

UTair has operated flights from Surgut, Nizhnevartovsk and Tyumen to Tajikistan for already five years.

According to Tajik civil aviation authorities, eight Russian air carriers now operate flights to Tajikistan: Rossiya, Tatarstan, Yakutiya; Ural Airlines; Sibir; Orienburg Airlines; UTair; and NordStar Airlines.