DUSHANBE, January 21, 2010, Asia-Plus -- According to the preliminary estimates, net profit of Tajik national air carrier, Tajik Air, for 2009 may reach 30 million somoni, the Tajik Air director general Alimurod Mahmadaliyev remarked at a news conference in Dushanbe on January 21.

According to him the final figures will become known in February, when the results of last year’s work will be reviewed.  He noted that Tajik national air carrier transferred more than 60.2 million somoni to the country’s budget in 2009.

“Over the report period, Tajik Air accounted for 47.4 percent of the overall volume of last year’s air transportation, which is 1.9 percent more than in 2008,” said Mahmadaliyev, “In 2009, Tajik national airline carried more than 421,000 passengers on international air routes, which is 39.5 percent of the overall volume of last year’s passenger carriages on these routes and 3.1 percent more than in 2008.”

Last year, Tajik Air carried more than 165,000 passengers on domestic routes, which is 28,900 passengers fewer than in 2008, he added.

Over the report period, Tajik national air carrier shipped 1,643 tons of cargoes, which is 75.7 percent of the 2008 level.

On the prospects of further development of the company, Mahmadaliyev said that Tajik Air plans to launch a new air route from Dushanbe to Kiev (Ukraine) and resume flights from Dushanbe to New Delhi (India) and Karachi (Pakistan).  Besides, Tajik Air plans to launch five new air routes to the Russian Federation: Barnaul; Ufa; Chelyabinsk, Kransoyarsk and Orienburg.

Asked about reopening of the Dushanbe-Tashkent flight, the Tajik Air top manager said the Uzbek authorities have refused to resume that flight.