Tajik private airline Somon Air announces a reduction of the number of flights from Dushanbe to Lahore (Pakistan) and the launch of a new air routes from Dushanbe to Russia.
The first flight on the Dushanbe-Lahore route took place on May 6 and Somon Air was flying to Lahore (round trip service) twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays.
Now, flights to Lahore will be operated once a week, on Mondays.
Somon Air was reportedly forced to reduce the number of flights to Lahore because of low passenger traffic on this air route.
“If passenger traffic on this air route does not increase, we will be forced to shut down flights to Lahore”, the Somon Air’s press service said.
Meanwhile, Somon Air has launched air routes from Dushanbe to Novosibirsk and Sochi. Somon Air will fly to Novosibirsk once a week, on Wednesdays. Flights to Sochi will also be operated once a week, on Thursdays.
The first flight to Novosibirsk will be operated on August 31, and the first flight to Sochi will be operated on September 1.
Besides, Somon Air plans to resume flights on the Dushanbe-Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan-Dushanbe air route.
Somon Air is the first private airline in Tajikistan with an office headquartered in Dushanbe. The airline operations are based at Dushanbe International Airport. The airline started operating on February 5, 2008 with regular flights to Moscow and Dubai.
Somon Air also serves as the official carrier of President of the Republic of Tajikistan and other Tajikistan high-ranking officials.
Since its foundation Somon Air has been primarily focused on passenger service and transportation to Eastern Europe and other locations. Most flights to international destinations operate from Dushanbe.
The airline uses the Boeing 737 in its fleet. Somon Air now operates 2 Boeing 737-300s, 2 Boeing 737-800s and 2 Boeing 737-900ERs.
Somon Air flies to the following destinations: Afghanistan (Kabul); China (Urumqi); Germany (Frankfurt am Main); Kazakhstan (Almaty); Pakistan (Lahore); Russia (Irkuts, Khanty-Mansisysk, Kazan, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, Orenburg, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Nizhnevartovsk, Novosibirsk, Tuymen and Yekaterinburg); Saudi Arabia (Jeddah); Tajikistan (Khujand); Turkey (Istanbul); Ukraine (Simferopol); and the United Arab Emirates (Dubai). (Asia-Plus/Business World Magazine)