Tajikistan Airlines
Encyclopedia
State Unitary Aviation Enterprise "Tajik Air" (Tajikistan Airlines) is the national airline
of the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan
. It has its head office on the property of Dushanbe Airport
in Dushanbe
. The airline has its main hub at Dushanbe Airport, and it retains a secondary focus point at Khujand's Khudzhand Airport.
to Dushanbe
, served by Junkers F.13
aircraft. It is the sixth oldest airline still in operation.
aircraft, the first flight with the latter was operated on the Stalinabad (now Dushanbe
) - Moscow
route. In 1951 it added its first Antonov An-2
, and in 1952 an Ilyushin Il-12
joined the fleet and launched Stalinabad - Sochi
services. Between 1956 and 1964 TTCAFA added the Mil Mi-4
helicopter, Ilyushin Il-14
, Ilyushin Il-18
and the Antonov An-6 which was an advanced version of the An-2 capable of flying at a higher altutide. In 1956 an An-6 of TTCAFA piloted by Vorobiyev B.M landed on the frozen Lake Sarez for the first time.
The first jet aircraft joined the airline in the 1970s, these included the Tupolev Tu-154
and Yakovlev Yak-40
, as well as Antonov An-26
and Antonov An-28
turboprop
s. By 1988 TTCAFA was changed to Tajik Civil Aviation Administration (TCAA) incorporating new management and planning conditions. The new company received first honours in the USSR as far as efficient usage of the An-28 and Yak-40 was concerned. In 1990 and 1991 the fleet was expanded further with addition of new aircraft and helicopters, including a Boeing 747SP, Ilyushin Il-76
cargo transports, Tupolev Tu-154M
s and Mil Mi-8MTV-1
s.
In an effort to improve the public management system, in 2004 the SART “Tojikiston” was reorganized into the State Unitary Aviation Enterprise (SUAE) “Tajikistan”. It is a commercial organization with its severalty and property being under its economic authority.
(EBRD), is undertaking a technical study of Airbus A320
and Boeing 737
aircraft. A small number of Boeing
aircraft are being inducted on lease replacing Soviet era Russian and Ukrainian types.
In 2007 the airline was barred from operating to the European Union
, however by that time they were only serving Düsseldorf
in Germany.
crashed during take-off in Khorog
on a flight to Dushanbe Airport
. All 5 crew and 77 of the 81 passengers died. The plane was configured to carry 28 passengers but was heavily overloaded. The crew was possibly forced to take-off by armed men. The aircraft overran the runway at high speed. The left and right main-gear struck an embankment and concrete structure and broke off. Thereafter the aircraft fell into the Panj River
On 15 December 1997 a Tupolev Tu-154
crashed on approach to Sharjah International Airport
. The aircraft crashed some 13 km from the airport. All 79 passengers and 6 of the 7 crew died.
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
of the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
. It has its head office on the property of Dushanbe Airport
Dushanbe Airport
Dushanbe International Airport is an airport located in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. Work has begun on upgrading facilities at the airport. Funds made available from unnamed sources will finance enhancements to the runway and apron and the upgrade of the terminal buildings to handle...
in Dushanbe
Dushanbe
-Economy:Coal, lead, and arsenic are mined nearby in the cities of Nurek and Kulob allowing for the industrialization of Dushanbe. The Nurek Dam, the world's highest as of 2008, generates 95% of Tajikistan's electricity, and another dam, the Roghun Dam, is planned on the Vakhsh River...
. The airline has its main hub at Dushanbe Airport, and it retains a secondary focus point at Khujand's Khudzhand Airport.
History
The company started operations on September 3, 1924 as Tajik Aviation. Its first route was BukharaBukhara
Bukhara , from the Soghdian βuxārak , is the capital of the Bukhara Province of Uzbekistan. The nation's fifth-largest city, it has a population of 263,400 . The region around Bukhara has been inhabited for at least five millennia, and the city has existed for half that time...
to Dushanbe
Dushanbe
-Economy:Coal, lead, and arsenic are mined nearby in the cities of Nurek and Kulob allowing for the industrialization of Dushanbe. The Nurek Dam, the world's highest as of 2008, generates 95% of Tajikistan's electricity, and another dam, the Roghun Dam, is planned on the Vakhsh River...
, served by Junkers F.13
Junkers F.13
The Junkers F.13 was the world's first all-metal transport aircraft, developed in Germany at the end of World War I. It was an advanced cantilever-wing monoplane, with enclosed accommodation for four passengers. Over 300 were sold...
aircraft. It is the sixth oldest airline still in operation.
Developments
In March 1937 the company was reorganised as the Tajik Territorial Civil Air Fleet Administration (TTCAFA). In 1945 it received Junkers Ju-52 and new Lisunov Li-2Lisunov Li-2
The Lisunov Li-2, originally designated PS-84 , was a license-built version of the Douglas DC-3. It was produced by the GAZ-84 works at Moscow-Khimki, and subsequently at GAZ-33 at Tashkent-Vostochn. The project was directed by aeronautical engineer Boris Pavlovich Lisunov.-Design and...
aircraft, the first flight with the latter was operated on the Stalinabad (now Dushanbe
Dushanbe
-Economy:Coal, lead, and arsenic are mined nearby in the cities of Nurek and Kulob allowing for the industrialization of Dushanbe. The Nurek Dam, the world's highest as of 2008, generates 95% of Tajikistan's electricity, and another dam, the Roghun Dam, is planned on the Vakhsh River...
) - Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
route. In 1951 it added its first Antonov An-2
Antonov An-2
The Antonov An-2 is a single-engine biplane utility/agricultural aircraft designed in the USSR in 1946...
, and in 1952 an Ilyushin Il-12
Ilyushin Il-12
The Ilyushin Il-12 was a Soviet twin-engine cargo aircraft, developed in the mid-1940s for small and medium-haul airline routes and as a military transport.-Design and development:...
joined the fleet and launched Stalinabad - Sochi
Sochi
Sochi is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated just north of Russia's border with the de facto independent republic of Abkhazia, on the Black Sea coast. Greater Sochi sprawls for along the shores of the Black Sea near the Caucasus Mountains...
services. Between 1956 and 1964 TTCAFA added the Mil Mi-4
Mil Mi-4
The Mil Mi-4 was a Soviet transport helicopter that served in both military and civilian roles.-Design and development:...
helicopter, Ilyushin Il-14
Ilyushin Il-14
The Ilyushin Il-14 was a Soviet twin-engine commercial and military personnel and cargo transport aircraft that first flew in 1950, and entered service in 1954. Il-14 was also manufactured in East Germany by VVB Flugzeugbau, in Czechoslovakia as the Avia 14, and in China under the Chinese...
, Ilyushin Il-18
Ilyushin Il-18
The Ilyushin Il-18 is a large turboprop airliner that became one of the best known Soviet aircraft of its era as well as one of the most popular and durable, having first flown in 1957 and still in use over 50 years later. The Il-18 was one of the world's principal airliners for several decades...
and the Antonov An-6 which was an advanced version of the An-2 capable of flying at a higher altutide. In 1956 an An-6 of TTCAFA piloted by Vorobiyev B.M landed on the frozen Lake Sarez for the first time.
The first jet aircraft joined the airline in the 1970s, these included the Tupolev Tu-154
Tupolev Tu-154
The Tupolev Tu-154 is a three-engine medium-range narrow-body airliner designed in the mid 1960s and manufactured by Tupolev. As the mainstay 'workhorse' of Soviet and Russian airlines for several decades, it serviced over a sixth of the world's landmass and carried half of all passengers flown...
and Yakovlev Yak-40
Yakovlev Yak-40
The Yakovlev Yak-40 is a small, three-engined airliner that is often called the first regional jet transport aircraft...
, as well as Antonov An-26
Antonov An-26
The Antonov An-26 is a twin-engined turboprop military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the USSR from 12 March 1968.-Development:...
and Antonov An-28
Antonov An-28
|-See also:-External links:**...
turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
s. By 1988 TTCAFA was changed to Tajik Civil Aviation Administration (TCAA) incorporating new management and planning conditions. The new company received first honours in the USSR as far as efficient usage of the An-28 and Yak-40 was concerned. In 1990 and 1991 the fleet was expanded further with addition of new aircraft and helicopters, including a Boeing 747SP, Ilyushin Il-76
Ilyushin Il-76
The Ilyushin Il-76 is a multi-purpose four-engined strategic airlifter designed by Ilyushin design bureau. It was first planned as a commercial freighter in 1967. Intended as a replacement for the Antonov An-12, the Il-76 was designed for delivering heavy machinery to remote, poorly-serviced areas...
cargo transports, Tupolev Tu-154M
Tupolev Tu-154
The Tupolev Tu-154 is a three-engine medium-range narrow-body airliner designed in the mid 1960s and manufactured by Tupolev. As the mainstay 'workhorse' of Soviet and Russian airlines for several decades, it serviced over a sixth of the world's landmass and carried half of all passengers flown...
s and Mil Mi-8MTV-1
Mil Mi-8
The Mil Mi-8 is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter that can also act as a gunship. The Mi-8 is the world's most-produced helicopter, and is used by over 50 countries. Russia is the largest operator of the Mi-8/Mi-17 helicopter....
s.
Post Independence
After reorganization of the Ministry of Civil Aviation the State Air Company of the Republic of Tajikistan (SART) was founded. On March 2, 1992 the Tajikistan aircraft crews began to fly under the emblem “Tojikiston” and in a short space of time they opened up the flights to the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Iran, India, Saudi Arabia, China, Turkey, Germany.In an effort to improve the public management system, in 2004 the SART “Tojikiston” was reorganized into the State Unitary Aviation Enterprise (SUAE) “Tajikistan”. It is a commercial organization with its severalty and property being under its economic authority.
Current situation
The Tajik Air brand has faced intense competition from rivals in the area, which has worsened since the Tajikistan aviation sector was deregulated in September 2006. The airline carried only 320,000 passengers in the first nine months of 2006, a notable fall over 2005. To try to overcome the decline, the airline, with assistance from the European Bank for Reconstruction and DevelopmentEuropean Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Founded in 1991, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development uses the tools of investment to help build market economies and democracies in 30 countries from central Europe to central Asia. Its mission was to support the formerly communist countries in the process of establishing their...
(EBRD), is undertaking a technical study of Airbus A320
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
and Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
aircraft. A small number of Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
aircraft are being inducted on lease replacing Soviet era Russian and Ukrainian types.
In 2007 the airline was barred from operating to the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, however by that time they were only serving Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
in Germany.
Destinations
Tajik Air serve the following (as of July 2011):- China
- UrumqiÜrümqiÜrümqi , formerly Tihwa , is the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, in the northwest of the country....
- Urumqi Diwopu International AirportÜrümqi Diwopu International AirportÜrümqi Diwopu International Airport is an airport serving Ürümqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwestern China. The airport is located in Diwopu, northwest of downtown Ürümqi...
- Urumqi
- Iran
- TehranTehranTehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
- Imam Khomeini International AirportImam Khomeini International AirportImam Khomeini International Airport is located in Ahmadabad, Iran. The airport is located about southwest of the city near the localities of Robat-Karim and Eslamshahr. It was designed to replace Mehrabad International Airport, which is in the west of the city, now inside the city boundaries...
- Tehran
- Kazakhstan
- AlmatyAlmatyAlmaty , also known by its former names Verny and Alma-Ata , is the former capital of Kazakhstan and the nation's largest city, with a population of 1,348,500...
- Almaty International AirportAlmaty International AirportAlmaty International Airport is the largest international airport in Kazakhstan. It is located about from the centre of Almaty, the country's largest city and commercial capital. Almaty airport accounts for half of passenger traffic and 68% of cargo traffic to Kazakhstan...
- Almaty
- Kyrgyzstan
- BishkekBishkekBishkek , formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and the largest city of Kyrgyzstan.Bishkek is also the administrative centre of Chuy Province which surrounds the city, even though the city itself is not part of the province but rather a province-level unit of Kyrgyzstan.The name is thought to...
- Manas International AirportManas International AirportManas International Airport is the main international airport in Kyrgyzstan located 25 km north-northwest of the capital Bishkek.The airport is operational 24 hours and its ILS system is ICAO CAT 2...
- Bishkek
- Russia
- IrkutskIrkutskIrkutsk is a city and the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, one of the largest cities in Siberia. Population: .-History:In 1652, Ivan Pokhabov built a zimovye near the site of Irkutsk for gold trading and for the collection of fur taxes from the Buryats. In 1661, Yakov Pokhabov...
- Irkutsk International AirportIrkutsk International AirportIrkutsk Airport is an airport in the centre of Irkutsk, Russia. As of 2006, a new passenger terminal is nearing completion... - MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
- Domodedovo International AirportDomodedovo International AirportMoscow Domodedovo Airport or Domodedovo International Airport is an international airport located in Domodedovsky District, Moscow Oblast, Russia, south-southeast of the centre of Moscow... - NovosibirskNovosibirskNovosibirsk is the third-largest city in Russia, after Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and the largest city of Siberia, with a population of 1,473,737 . It is the administrative center of Novosibirsk Oblast as well as of the Siberian Federal District...
- Tolmachevo Airport - Saint PetersburgSaint PetersburgSaint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
- Pulkovo AirportPulkovo AirportPulkovo Airport is an international airport serving Saint Petersburg, Russia. It consists of two terminals, Pulkovo-1 and Pulkovo-2 , which are located about and south of the city centre, respectively. The airport serves as a hub for Rossiya Airlines , and as focus city for Nordavia... - SamaraSamara, RussiaSamara , is the sixth largest city in Russia. It is situated in the southeastern part of European Russia at the confluence of the Volga and Samara Rivers. Samara is the administrative center of Samara Oblast. Population: . The metropolitan area of Samara-Tolyatti-Syzran within Samara Oblast...
- Kurumoch International AirportKurumoch International AirportKurumoch International Airport is the international airport of Samara, Russia located 35 km north of the city. In 2006, it handled 1,218,954 passengers and 4,121 metric tonnes of cargo. The airport was the base of defunct Samara Airlines.... - SochiSochiSochi is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated just north of Russia's border with the de facto independent republic of Abkhazia, on the Black Sea coast. Greater Sochi sprawls for along the shores of the Black Sea near the Caucasus Mountains...
- Sochi International Airport - SurgutSurgutSurgut is a city in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia, located on the Ob River near its junction with the Irtysh River, the largest in the autonomous okrug and the second largest in Tyumen Oblast. Population:...
- Surgut AirportSurgut AirportSurgut Airport , also listed as Surgut North Airport, is an airport in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia located north of Surgut. It services medium-sized airliners. In 2008 Surgut Airport handled 1,013,179 passengers.-Airlines and destinations:... - YekaterinburgYekaterinburgYekaterinburg is a major city in the central part of Russia, the administrative center of Sverdlovsk Oblast. Situated on the eastern side of the Ural mountain range, it is the main industrial and cultural center of the Urals Federal District with a population of 1,350,136 , making it Russia's...
- Koltsovo Airport
- Irkutsk
- Tajikistan
- DushanbeDushanbe-Economy:Coal, lead, and arsenic are mined nearby in the cities of Nurek and Kulob allowing for the industrialization of Dushanbe. The Nurek Dam, the world's highest as of 2008, generates 95% of Tajikistan's electricity, and another dam, the Roghun Dam, is planned on the Vakhsh River...
- Dushanbe AirportDushanbe AirportDushanbe International Airport is an airport located in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. Work has begun on upgrading facilities at the airport. Funds made available from unnamed sources will finance enhancements to the runway and apron and the upgrade of the terminal buildings to handle...
Hub - KhorogKhorogThe town of Khorugh , also transliterated as Khoroq, Khorogh, Khorog, or Xoroq) is the capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in Tajikistan. It is also the capital of the Shughnon District of Gorno-Badakhshan. It has a population of 28,000...
- Khorog Airport - Khudzhand - Khudzhand Airport
- QurghonteppaQurghonteppaQurghonteppa or Kurganteppa is a city in southwestern Tajikistan. It is the capital of the Khatlon region and it is located 100 km from Dushanbe. It is estimated that the population of the city is close to 85,000 people, making it the third-largest city in the country. The population...
- Qurghonteppa International AirportQurghonteppa International AirportQurghonteppa International Airport is an airport in Kurgan Tyube, Tajikistan .- Airlines and destinations :...
- Dushanbe
- United Arab Emirates
- SharjahSharjah (city)Sharjah is the third largest and most populous city in the United Arab Emirates. It is located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula.Sharjah is the seat of government of the emirate of Sharjah...
- Sharjah International AirportSharjah International AirportSharjah International Airport is located in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.Sharjah Airport is the second largest Middle East Airfreight Hub in terms of cargo tonnage, according to official 2009 statistics from Airports Council International...
- Sharjah
Fleet
The Tajik Air fleet includes the following aircraft (as of February 20, 2010) :| Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antonov An-24 Antonov An-24 The Antonov An-24 is a 44-seat twin turboprop transport designed and manufactured in the Soviet Union by the Antonov Design Bureau from 1957.-Design and development:... |
2 | ||
| Antonov An-28 Antonov An-28 |-See also:-External links:**... |
2 | ||
| Boeing 737-500 | 2 | LY-AWF, LY-AWG | |
| Boeing 757-200 | 1 | EY-751 | |
| Sukhoi Superjet 100 Sukhoi Superjet 100 The Sukhoi Superjet 100 is a modern, fly-by-wire regional jet in the 75- to 95-seat category. With development starting in 2000, the plane was designed by the civil aircraft division of the Russian aerospace company Sukhoi in co-operation with Western partners... |
0 | 4 on order[to be leased] | |
| Tupolev Tu-154B2 | 2 | ||
| Tupolev Tu-154M | 4 | Two operated for Taban Air | |
| Xian MA60 Xian MA60 |-See also:-References:* Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group, 2003. ISBN 0-7106-2537-5.-External links:* * *... |
0 | 2 | On order; will replace An-24s |
| Total | 16 | 4 |
Accidents
On 20 August 1993 a Yakovlev Yak-40Yakovlev Yak-40
The Yakovlev Yak-40 is a small, three-engined airliner that is often called the first regional jet transport aircraft...
crashed during take-off in Khorog
Khorog
The town of Khorugh , also transliterated as Khoroq, Khorogh, Khorog, or Xoroq) is the capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province in Tajikistan. It is also the capital of the Shughnon District of Gorno-Badakhshan. It has a population of 28,000...
on a flight to Dushanbe Airport
Dushanbe Airport
Dushanbe International Airport is an airport located in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. Work has begun on upgrading facilities at the airport. Funds made available from unnamed sources will finance enhancements to the runway and apron and the upgrade of the terminal buildings to handle...
. All 5 crew and 77 of the 81 passengers died. The plane was configured to carry 28 passengers but was heavily overloaded. The crew was possibly forced to take-off by armed men. The aircraft overran the runway at high speed. The left and right main-gear struck an embankment and concrete structure and broke off. Thereafter the aircraft fell into the Panj River
Panj River
The Panj River , also known as Pyandzh River or Piandj River , is a tributary of the Amu Darya. The river is 1,125 km long and forms a considerable part of the Afghanistan - Tajikistan border....
On 15 December 1997 a Tupolev Tu-154
Tupolev Tu-154
The Tupolev Tu-154 is a three-engine medium-range narrow-body airliner designed in the mid 1960s and manufactured by Tupolev. As the mainstay 'workhorse' of Soviet and Russian airlines for several decades, it serviced over a sixth of the world's landmass and carried half of all passengers flown...
crashed on approach to Sharjah International Airport
Sharjah International Airport
Sharjah International Airport is located in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.Sharjah Airport is the second largest Middle East Airfreight Hub in terms of cargo tonnage, according to official 2009 statistics from Airports Council International...
. The aircraft crashed some 13 km from the airport. All 79 passengers and 6 of the 7 crew died.
External links
- Official Website (Archive: 2003-2007)