DUSHANBE, August 13, 2009, Asia-Plus -- Tajikistan’s private air carrier, Somon Air, is the first airline in the country to join the Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) system, according to Somon Air’s press service.

This step will allow extending the network of realization of passenger carriages of Somon Air through Accredited Passenger Agents of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Germany, the press service said.

Tajikistan is the third in Central Asia following Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and the ninth within the CIS area to join the BSP system in Germany.  Somon Air operated the first direct flight to Germany, Dushanbe-Frankfurt am Main on July 29 this year.

Somon Air is an airline based in Dushanbe. It is Tajikistan’s first private air carrier.  Somon Air was granted an operating license and aviation operator certificate in 2006.  As of January 16, 2009, the Somon Air fleet included Boeing 737-400 (which is operated by East Air) and Boeing 737-800.

The Billing & Settlement Plan is a system designed to facilitate and simplify the selling, reporting and remitting procedures of IATA Accredited Passenger Sales Agents, as well as improve financial control and cash flow for BSP Airlines.

At the close of 2008, there were 88 BSPs, covering 160 countries and territories serving 400 airlines, while gross sales processed amounted to USD 239 billion.

BSP is the central point through which data and funds flow between travel agents and airlines.  Instead of every agent having an individual relationship with each airline, all of the information is consolidated through the BSP.

Agents make one single payment to the BSP (remittance), covering sales on all BSP Airlines.  The BSP makes one consolidated payment to each airline, covering sales made by all agents in the country/region.  BSP also provides agents with neutral Standard Traffic Documents (STDs) to be used for sales on any airline.