Today, planes of Tajik air carriers tend to land at airports of neighboring countries for refueling.  Passengers are indignant and refuse to travel on domestic airlines' flights.  Tajik Air and Somon Air bear losses but they can do nothing.  Who is to blame?

In recent year, aviation fuel at Tajik airports has become the most expensive in the region.  Tajikistan reportedly buys aviation fuel in the Russian Federation and neighboring Kyrgyzstan at an average rate of 600-700 U.S. dollar per ton.  Meanwhile, at the Tajik airports this fuel is being sold at the rate of 1,100-1,200 U.S. dollars per ton. 

In neighboring countries, one ton of aviation fuel costs 700-800 U.S. dollars.  

What does it lead to? Who in Tajikistan has such a voracious appetite?  What does the Antimonopoly Agency say about this situation? What does our government want: development of domestic aviation or bankruptcy of it?    

Read about this in a May 11 edition of Asia-Plus newspaper.