Tajik Air starts operation of its first widebody aircraft

This Boeing 767-300 with tail number EY-756 was previously operated by Delta Air Lines and Nigerian Kabo Air (Photo by Tajik Air)

Tajikistan’s national carrier Tajik Air started operation of its first widebody aircraft, a Boeing 767-300, the airline told Russian Aviation Insider. The aircraft with tail number EY-756 made its first flight for Tajik Air from the country’s capital Dushanbe to Moscow and back on December 13. It seats 278 passengers – 12 in business and 266 in economy class. According to open sources the aircraft is 29,9 years old, and was previously operated by American Delta Air Lines and Nigerian Kabo Air.

According to Tajik Air’s flight director Faizullo Sattorov, the carrier “constantly searches for partners willing to support the fleet renewal plans.” The airline reported earlier it was planning to add another Boeing 767 to its fleet. Tajik Air’s main short-term objectives are fleet  and route network expansion.

The carrier’s fleet now consists of 36 aircraft including Boeing 757-200, Boeing 737 Classic, Xian MA60, Antonov An-28, An-26 airplanes and Mil Mi-8MTV helicopters. However only seven of these aircraft are being operated, including Boeing 757, Boeing 737, An-28 and Mi-8MTV, the remaining aircraft are kept stored. The carrier has plans to restore the air worthiness of its MA60.

The national carrier of Tajikistan operates regular flights to  Delhi, Urumqi, Tehran, Almaty and Bishkek, as well as a number of destinations in Russia including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ekaterinburg, Surgut, Nizhnevartovsk and Novosibirsk. It has only got two domestic destinations, Khudzhang and Khorog.

Besides passenger transportation the company is engaged in cargo operations and aircraft MRO.