DUSHANBE, April 16, 2011, Asia-Plus -- Debts of Tajik national air carrier, Tajik Air, now amount to 89.7 million somoni (equivalent to more than US$20 million), including 40 million somoni (US$10.9 million) Tajik Air owes to Dushanbe International Airport, Khujand International Airport and Tajikaeronavigatsiya (air navigation).

A source at Tajik Air says they will repay their debts to local civil aviation structures gradually, within 3-7 years.

“Over the first three months of this year, Tajik Air have carried 111,880 passengers, which is 31 percent of the air traffic for the report period and 9.1 percent lower than in the same period last year,” the source said.

“Despite this, passenger load has increased on average by 12.7 percent over the fist quarter of the year; passenger load on international routes has increased by 18.9 percent,” he added.          

According to the source, 5.8 million somoni have gone over the report period to continuing airworthiness.

Over the same three-month period, the company has reportedly transferred 8,837,130 somoni in taxes to the national budget.

The state unitary enterprise, Tajik Air, was reorganized into open joint-tock company last autumn.  Reorganization of Tajik Air into open joint-stock company was the last stage of restructuring of the Tajik national air carrier.

Until 2008, Tajik Air had an absolute monopoly in Tajikistan’s air transport, owning all planes, airports, and airport and flight services.  As a result of restructuring, Tajik Air was split up into several separate companies (state unitary enterprises): Tajik Air; Dushanbe International Airport, Khujand International Airport; Kulob International Airport; Qurghon Teppa International Airport, Fuel Supply Company, Tajikaeronavigatsiya (air navigation); and In-flight Meals.