Tajikistan’s Somon Air opens new aviation training centre

The training centre offers initial training, re-training and on-going training of crew and ground support services (Somon Air)

Somon Air, Tajikistan’s privately run airline, has opened a new training centre for aviation specialists at its Dushanbe headquarters, in a development that mirrors the airline’s continued growth and its commitment to air safety, a spokesman says.

“The training centre was created not only for Somon Air, but also for all of Tajikistan’s aviation [industry]. Our doors are open to everyone. We are extremely proud of our small contribution in the training of our professional personnel,” enthuses chief executive Thomas Hallam.

The training centre, which is certified by the Civil Aviation Agency under the government of the Republic of Tajikistan and is licensed by the country’s ministry of education and science, offers initial training, re-training and on-going training of crew and ground support services.

Lessons are conducted by experienced personnel as well as instructors who themselves have been trained in modern aircraft operations at other leading world training centres. Courses are provided for cockpit crew, cabin crew, engineering and technical staff, personnel who arrange cargo and dangerous cargo shipments, and all other aviation safety specialists who work on the Boeing 737 Classic and Boeing 737 next-generation aircraft types.

The training centre will also provide captain training for qualified applicants. Other courses offered are accident rescue procedures, crew resource management and, of course, aviation safety issues. Staff will be trained on how to properly evacuate an aircraft in the event of an emergency, the proper use of on-board fire extinguishers, as well as how to properly serve passengers, baggage handling and re-fuelling, etc.

Launched in 2008, Somon Air currently operates flights from the central Asian respublic to Germany, the UAE, Turkey, China, Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Its fleet is comprised of two Boeing 737-300s as well as two -800s and two-900 variants of the type. Somon Air was accepted as an IATA member in 2017.

Current additional developments include the fact that the Tajik carrier expanded its services at Khudzhand by adding low-frequency flights to Nizhnevartovsk and Surgut in Russia in the summer season.