DUSAHNBE, July 28, Asia-Plus -- Tajik State Air Company “Tojikiston” annually spends 20 million Somonis (equivalent to US$5.9 million) for maintaining service life of its planes, Valery Sharipov, technical director of Tajik air carrier announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on July 27.

“It turns out that monthly, we monthly invest more than US$400,000 in maintaining the company’s air fleet,” Mr. Sharipov noted.  

“For example, major repairs to an engine TU-154 alone come to US$220,000, and the same procedure for AN-28 costs US$80,000,” the air carrier official noted.  Besides, in accordance with European standards, aircraft operated by Tajik State Air Company “Tojikiston” should be equipment with special systems costing some US$86,000, otherwise they will not be allowed to enter air space of the European Union, according to him.  

According to Tojikiston’s technical director, at present the Tajik air carrier has 4 TU-154Ms, seven Yakovlev-40s, three AN-28s and five helicopters MI-8.  Besides, nine other aircraft, including 3 TU-134s, 4 AN-24s and 2 AN-26s, are operated by the Khujand civil aviation enterprise.  

“Specialists from Russian designing office work in Dushanbe on the permanent basis, controlling and observing service life of the aircraft operated by the Tajik air carrier,” Mr. Sharipov stressed.