Starting June 12, Tajikistan has officially adopted an “Open Skies” policy, abandoning the long-standing parity system between domestic and foreign airlines. The presidential decree signed by Emomali Rahmon paves the way for greater liberalization in the country's aviation sector, according to Ozodi.org. The policy applies to the international airports of Dushanbe, Khujand, Kulob, and Bokhtar, web-portal Ozodi.org reports.
Under the new framework, foreign carriers will be allowed to determine flight frequencies, aircraft types, routes, and ticket prices without the previous requirement to match them with equivalent flights operated by Tajik airlines. This marks a significant shift away from the former one-to-one reciprocity model.
Turkish Airlines became the first foreign airline to respond to the reform. Beginning in August, the carrier will increase its flights between Istanbul and Dushanbe from three to five times per week, with new flights added on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Tickets are already on sale.
Authorities hope that the liberalization will enhance Tajikistan’s competitiveness in the international air travel market, improve service quality, and reduce travel costs. The move is also expected to boost tourism, facilitate business travel, and ease transportation for migrant workers, for whom airfare remains a major expense.
The Civil Aviation Agency has been tasked with ensuring swift and unhindered market access for new carriers and expediting flight schedule approvals.
However, restrictions will remain in place for 18 international routes for up to three years. Once this transitional period ends, the Open Skies policy will be fully implemented across all routes.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
June 27, 2025