Scheduled passenger flights between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have officially resumed, with Uzbekistan Airways (HY, Tashkent International) flying from Tashkent International to Dushanbe on Tuesday, April 11. According to the airline's website, the 2x weekly service operates onboard A320-200 equipment. AzerNews reports that Tajikistan's Somon Air (SZ, Dushanbe) will offer reciprocal flights from the Tajik side in due course.
Relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have been strained for many years, in particular in regard to border resources. There has been no direct air service between the two countries since 1992 when civil war broke out in Tajikistan. The reopening of air transport between the neighbours is seen as a sign of improvement in their relationship.
The resumption of scheduled flights comes after a test flight – carrying media and politicians – was carried out by Somon Air in mid-February. "This flight made it possible for residents of both countries, which have many mixed marriages, to visit their relatives without problems or without long waits at check-points," said Lidiya Saidova, a Dushanbe journalist on that flight, speaking with news site Caravanserai.
The direct flights are presumably hoping to tap into both the improving commercial relationship between the two countries, as well as the diaspora market. As at 2010, Uzbeks make up about 13.8% of Tajikistan's population, while Uzbekistan has a 5% Tajik population. However, both countries have stringent visa regulations in place, which may hamper passenger uptake.
Uzbekistan Airways is wholly-owned by the government of Uzbekistan and operates flights across the domestic network, as well as to international destinations throughout Asia, Russia, Europe and to the United States.
