Tajikistan’s Shohin Airlines Unveils First Plane

Shohin Airlines, a new private airline in Tajikistan that says it has regional ambitions, recently unveiled the first fixed-wing aircraft in its fleet and also signed an agreement under which its staff will study at the Turkish Airlines Flight Academy in Turkey. The memorandum of understanding with Turkish Airlines provides for academy training for flight and ground personnel from Shohin Airlines, the Tajik airline said this week. Shohin Airlines described the agreement as an important step in the professional development of its employees. Earlier this month, Shohin Airlines unveiled an L 410 NG turboprop aircraft as part of a plan to develop regional passenger service, including in the mountainous terrain that covers much of Tajikistan. The L 410 NG is the latest model of the L 410 aircraft family developed by Czech firm Aircraft Industries. Representatives of Tajikistan’s Civil Aviation Agency attended the unveiling. The agency said the L 410 NG can operate on relatively short runways, which it described as a “crucial capability for local airports in the mountainous regions of Tajikistan.” Shohin Airlines, which was established last year, has flown the new aircraft from Dushanbe, the capital, to Khorog, capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region in southeastern Tajikistan. Previously, the airline’s operations had consisted of helicopter flights. Shohin Airlines has said it will acquire four planes from the Airbus A320neo line of aircraft, reflecting plans for a significant expansion into commercial passenger traffic. However, delivery plans for the Airbus aircraft have yet to be announced. The airline’s plans to grow coincide with an effort by the Tajik government to expand the country’s role in regional and international aviation. As part of that project, the government introduced an “Open Skies” policy last year that lifted many market restrictions in an effort to generate competition and improve service.

Somon Air Awaits Boeing Delivery as Tajikistan´s Aviation Sector Grows

Tajikistan’s Somon Air expects the delivery of new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in the next few months, in a fleet expansion designed to strengthen the airline as a growing player in Central Asia's aviation sector. The national carrier, which aims to offer new intercontinental routes, said its management met a Boeing delegation this month to build on an agreement late last year in which Somon Air selected up to 14 Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 737 MAX aircraft. During the May 15 meeting, “the parties discussed key issues related to the introduction into service of the new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, whose delivery to Tajikistan is scheduled for July–August 2026,” Dushanbe-based Somon Air said. “The expansion of the fleet with modern aircraft will enable Somon Air to improve the quality of passenger service, expand its route network, and strengthen its position in the regional civil aviation market,” the airline said. Established in 2008, Somon Air currently operates six Boeing 737 Next Generation airplanes on routes to Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It has a total of 25 destinations. Tajikistan’s international routes traditionally focused on Russia, the destination for many migrants from Central Asia. According to Boeing, the new aircraft for Somon Air will deliver a 20–25% fuel-use improvement compared to the airplanes they replace and enable lower seat and maintenance costs. In another sign of commercial aviation growth in Tajikistan, Shohin Airlines, a new private airline registered in the country, said in April that it was in the final stage of acquiring four planes from the Airbus A320neo line of aircraft. Shohin Airlines, which operates helicopters for specialized flights, wants to make a significant expansion into commercial passenger traffic. It had announced a $200 million investment from a European investment fund. In 2025, Tajikistan introduced an Open Skies policy in which civil aviation authorities lifted many market restrictions. The move came two years after a 2023 study in which the World Bank said airport charges in Tajikistan were very high and that refueling costs were among the most expensive in Central Asia. The agency recommended market deregulation as a way to encourage competition, leading to better prices for passengers, more efficient service and route diversification.