QURGHON TEPPA, July 13, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- Qurghon Teppa International Airport has been temporarily closed for repairing its runway, the airport deputy director Khoushvakht Safarov said.

According to him, the runway of the airport has not been repaired for nearly 30 years.  The Qurghon Teppa airport has not received planes since July 1.

The airport chief accountant Sohibjon Abdurasoulov says the estimated budget for the full reconstruction of the airport is 55 million U.S. dollars.  “To-date, Tajik Air has allocated 10 million somoni for repairing the runway,” said Abdurasoulov.  “We have applied for help to the government but they said financing may start only in 2015.”

According to him, several local entrepreneurs have agreed to finance reconstruction of the airport’s waiting space.

Meanwhile, the chief accountant says the airport has been closed not because of the beginning of repairing works.  According to him, the Motriba Company had been working with the airport until July 1.  “The company apparently has stopped operating flights because of unprofitableness.  If any company appears that will want to operate flights to Qurghon Teppa, we will be able to work and receive aircraft,” Abdurasoulov noted.