DUSHANBE, December 12, 2012, Asia-Plus  --  Tajikistan’s private airline, Somon Air, has increased the number of flights to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from two to three per week.

According to the Somon Air press center, the company will operate a triple-weekly service to Dubai beginning on December 17.  Somon Air will operate flights to Dubai on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Somon Air is an airline based in Dushanbe.  It is Tajikistan''s first private airline.  Somon Air is also the first airline in Tajikistan to launch an online booking system.

The airline uses the Boeing 737 in its fleet.  Somon Air operates the following types as of August 2012: two Boeing 737-300s; two Boeing 737-800s; and two Boeing 7373-900ERs.

Since its formation, Somon Air has mainly aimed its passenger service at Eastern Europe and other locations. Most flights to international locations operate from Dushanbe.  In line with its strategic policy, Somon Air is gradually expanding the geographical coverage of its flights.  At present, the company operates a total of eighteen routes.  Somon Air now operates to the following destinations: China (Urumqi); Germany (Frankfurt am Main); Kazakhstan (Almaty); Russia (Irkutsk, Khanty-Mansisysk, Kazan, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, Orenburg, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Nizhnevartovsk, Novosibirsk, Tuymen and Yekaterinburg); Saudi Arabia (Jeddah); Tajikistan (Khujand); Turkey (Istanbul); Ukraine (Simferopol, Kyiv); and the United Arab Emirates (Dubai).