Turkmenistan Airlines’ plane with more than 100 passengers on board landed at the Dushanbe airport on June 12.

This test flight is the first flight between Ashgabat and Dushanbe over the past twenty-four years.  There had been no direct civilian flights between the two capitals of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan since 1993.

The passengers reportedly include representatives of the Turkmen civil aviation authorities, Turkmenistan Airlines, the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan and Turkmen tour operators.

Today, representatives of Turkmen civilian aviation authorities will meet in Dushanbe with their Tajik colleagues to discuss issues related to resuming direct air communications between Ashgabat and Dushanbe.

The negotiations will be conducted on the sidelines of Tajikistan-Turkmenistan business forum that will discuss state and prospects of further expansion of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Turkmenistan Airlines is the flag carrier airline of Turkmenistan, headquartered in Ashgabat.  It operates domestic and international passenger and cargo services mainly from its hub at Ashgabat International Airport.

Turkmenistan Airlines operates flights to 23 domestic and international destinations from its hub at Ashgabat International Airport as well as some additional minor and mainly domestic operations from Turkmenabat Airport and Turkmenbashi Airport. The airline also operates dedicated cargo flights.  

The Turkmenistan Airlines fleet consists of 7 Boeing 717-200s; 1 Boeing 737-300; 3 Boeing 737-700s; 6 Boeing 737-800s; 1 Boeing 757-200; 2  Boeing 777-200LR.

Its VIP fleet includes 1 Boeing 737-700; 1 Boeing 777-200LR; 1 Bombardier Challenger 870; 2 Bombardier Challenger 605s; and 1 British Aerospace 125.

Turkmenistan Airlines’ cargo fleet consists of 8 Ilyushin Il-76TDs.