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Transport Ministry maintains plans to halt flights between Russia and Tajikistan

The warning of halting flight connection was made after the Tajik aviation authorities had refused to grant a permision to Russia’s Yamal airline

MOSCOW, December 21. /TASS/. Russia’s Transport Ministry maintains plans to suspend flights between the Russian Federation and Tajikistan at 00:00 MSK on December 22, an official with the ministry told TASS.

"If Tajik aviation authorities don’t give permission to Russia’s Yamal airline for flights on Khujand-Zhukovsky route air traffic between Russia and Tajikistan will be suspended from 00:00 December 22", - the official said.

He added that by now Yamal carrier has not received the permission for flying to Tajikistan.

Earlier on Wednesday, an official with Russia’s Transport Ministry told TASS that flight connection between Russia and Tajikistan will be halted on December 22 at 00:00.

The warning of halting flight connection was made amid another round of dispute between Russia and Tajikistan regarding the number of air carriers. The Tajik aviation authorities refused to grant a permit to the Yamal company to conduct flights from the Zhukovsky airport in the Moscow region to Khudzhand in the north of Tajikistan. According to them Yamal flights would break the parity of Russia and Tajikistan in number of airlines selected for serving flights between the two states.

Russia’s Transport Ministry said that the refusal of Tajik aviation authorities was not legally grounded.

For the first time the two countries faced the threat of suspension of flights in autumn. Then the Tajik and Russian aviation authorities failed to agree on flights to the Zhukovsky airport. Tajikistan found that Zhukovsky belongs to Moscow airports and that is why it comes under bilateral agreements in terms of number of carriers. Under the Russian law, Zhukovsky is part of the Ramesnkoye aviation hub (Moscow region).