VZCZCXRO3716
RR RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #0269/01 0521338
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 211338Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0241
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC 0007
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0042
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0064
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0033
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0082

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000269 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: ECON ETRD EAIR TI
 
SUBJECT: SOMON AIR - "PRIVATE" IN NAME ONLY. 
 
Reftel: Dushanbe 210 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: On February 6 EmbOff experienced the pleasure of 
flying Tajikistan's "first private airline," Somon Air, aboard its 
wet-leased Turkish Pegasus Airlines Boeing 737-800.  Minor 
intercultural hiccups aside, the flight was normal, and an 
improvement on the standards of state-owned Tajik Air.  However, 
Somon Air so far functions only as an extension of state-owned Tajik 
Air; it has not begun to operate as an independent airline, and does 
not compete with Tajik Air.  End Summary. 
 
Whose Plane is This? 
-------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) EmbOff explicitly requested to travel on Tajik Air -- 
nicknamed "Tragic Air" - as the best of the meager options for the 
route through Moscow.  Emboff's earlier experiences with Russia 
based Domodedovo Airlines included late flights, surly staff, lost 
luggage, and getting hit in the head by falling suitcases. 
 
¶3. (SBU) After purchasing the ticket and checking in for Tajik Air 
flight 631, EmbOff was surprised when the airport shuttle pulled up 
to Somon Air's Boeing 737-800.  Curious, but well into pack 
mentality, EmbOff followed the rest of the passengers onto the 
plane.  There was no explanation as to why a "private" airline was 
flying a route of the Tajik national airline.  The Turkish cabin 
crew spoke neither Russian nor Tajik, and at first EmbOff wasn't 
even sure he was on the right flight. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Flights from Dushanbe to Moscow are usually full, and this 
flight was no exception.  Most of the Tajik passengers were labor 
migrants from the provincial regions of Tajikistan, and many seemed 
to be first time flyers.  After watching a cabin attendant, in 
English, try in vain to explain to Tajiks sitting in an emergency 
exit row that they needed to place their carry-on baggage in the 
overhead compartments instead of in the aisle, EmbOff realized that 
all but one of the attendants could not speak Russian or Tajik.  The 
emergency instructions and exit signs were all in Turkish, and the 
cabin crew all wore Pegasus Airlines uniforms.  EmbOff helped 
explain to the Tajiks sitting in the emergency aisle that they 
needed to stow their bags for takeoff and landing.  He then sat back 
and watched in amusement as the Turkish attendants futilely ran up 
and down the aisles trying to make the mostly Tajik passengers 
switch off their mobile telephones. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The airplane itself seemed to be in decent shape, obviously 
used, a little worn around the edges, but on the whole a marked 
improvement on flying an old Tupolev 154.  EmbOff opened the 
seat-back pocket in front of him.  Surprised that he was able to 
open it with all of the old chewing gum and assorted other sticky 
substances in there, EmbOff flopped back into his seat, 
understanding now why no in-flight magazines were provided.  After a 
delay of about 30 minutes, the airplane took off for Moscow. 
 
Moscow Welcomes Tajiks With Open Arms and Drug Dogs 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶6. (SBU) Apparently all Tajik flights are subject to extensive 
security scrutiny upon arrival in Moscow.  Somon Air passengers 
waited for over an hour in the baggage claim area in Domodedovo 
Airport (after a near on-time arrival) before a baggage carousel was 
even announced.  An airport employee told EmbOff that "the dogs" 
needed time to go over every bag.  During this extended wait, EmbOff 
also noted that immigration officials corralled arriving passengers 
Qalso noted that immigration officials corralled arriving passengers 
who appeared Central Asian after they had passed passport control 
and before they entered the baggage claim area.  These officials 
examined the Tajiks' passports and sent selected passengers to the 
immigration counter. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Somon Air also flew the route of Tajik Air flight 632 back 
to Dushanbe on February 18, leaving about an hour behind schedule 
without any explanation to the waiting passengers.  Upon boarding, 
EmbOff found that the flight was empty, and happily stretched out in 
his own row.  The flight to Dushanbe was uneventful and again 
arrived nearly on time.  Reminiscent of the language problems on the 
flight to Moscow, the cabin crew seemed not to be fully briefed for 
their mission.  When the Turkish crew came through with "dinner" and 
EmbOff asked what was being served, in English, the flight attendant 
rolled her eyes, shrugged, and said, "I don't know."  It turned out 
to be the usual airline food, some sort of stewed meat with rice and 
green peas, which tasted just like any other reheated airline 
dinner.  When EmbOff asked for a blanket for his wife who was 
traveling with him, the lone Tajik attendant curtly told him that 
blankets were for business class passengers only - at which point it 
 
DUSHANBE 00000269  002 OF 002 
 
 
was EmbOff's turn to roll his eyes. 
 
Comment - Tourist Hopes Dashed 
------------------------------ 
 
¶8. (SBU) The disorientation Somon Air's Turkish crew are suffering 
is not the only start-up difficulty of this airline.  Moscow is so 
far the only route it flies, and it does this as a Tajik Air flight. 
 In reftel we theorized that Somon might replace Tajik Air's 
monopoly with its own, given its presidential connections (Somon is 
controlled by the President's brother-in-law).  So far, it's not 
clear to us what is actually happening, but it's certainly not 
commercial competition.  The other flights Somon Air claims on its 
website - to Almaty, Urumqi, Dubai, and Istanbul - don't yet exist. 
Besides flying for Tajik Air its other role is, so far, to be a 
presidential travel convenience.  President Rahmon has used Somon's 
only aircraft for his official travel at least once already, and 
since the airplane is newer and better than anything else around 
here, he'll likely continue this practice.  We don't know when Somon 
Air will emerge as an independently functioning airline, nor how it 
benefits, if at all, from its current role as a contractor to Tajik 
Air; but it seems so far to be "private" in name, not in function. 
End Comment. 
 
JACOBSON