Tajikistan reopens to limited international pax traffic

Limited international passenger flights are now operating to/from Tajikistan, including services connecting Dushanbe with Russia, Turkey, Iran, Uzbekistan, and the United Arab Emirates. This follows the phased re-opening of the country’s international air space since it closed its borders in April 2020 to contain the impact of COVID-19, the latest being the resumption of commercial flights between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on January 15. To Russia, Somon Air is now operating daily service between Dushanbe and Moscow Domodedovo; 2x weekly to Rostov Platov and St. Petersburg; and once weekly to each of the following: Ekaterinburg; Irkutsk Int’l; Kazan Int’l; Krasnodar; Krasnoyarsk Yemelyanovo; and Novosibirsk. Ural Airlines (U6, Ekaterinburg) also flies weekly between Dushanbe and Kazan Int’l, Krasnoyarsk Yemelyanovo, Novosibirsk; Rostov Platov; Samara Kurumoch; St. Petersburg; Ufa; and Zhukovsky. On February 3, Uzbekistan Airways (HY, Tashkent Islam Karimov) begins weekly flights to Tashkent Islam Karimov, while S7 Airlines (S7, Novosibirsk) starts weekly services to Novosibirsk on February 4. Other international entry restrictions remain in effect, including the closure of land borders with Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, although some border crossings with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are open for freight vehicles, according to information from the US embassy in Tajikistan. All international travelers must undergo COVID-19 screening, including a temperature check on arrival and departure. All foreigners entering the country must self-isolate for 14 days, though this does not apply to diplomats, freight drivers, and flight crew.