The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is conducting an aviation security audit in Tajikistan. It began on 7 November and runs until 19 November 2026, so as of 11 November it is under way. The dates were announced by the Civil Aviation Agency under the Government of Tajikistan and by state news agencies.
Two areas should be kept apart. Aviation security is the protection of civil aviation against acts of unlawful interference. Flight safety is state oversight of operations, airworthiness and licensing. ICAO has already assessed the second area: in January and February 2026, according to the agency, a documentary review was carried out, and its result was assessed as positive. We did not find an ICAO publication with the results, so the assessment is given as the agency's account.
The industry has been preparing since the autumn. In October the heads of Dushanbe airport and Tajikaeronavigatsiya reported on January–September results and on preparations, and the agency's director Khabibullo Nazarzoda called 2026 particularly significant for the sector because of the ICAO audits. We covered this here: https://www.flycentralasia.com/news/en/icao-aviation-security-audit-tajikistan-november/
Earlier, in September, the interagency commission in Dushanbe discussed preparation for the inspection: https://www.flycentralasia.com/news/en/dushanbe-commission-prepares-for-icao-safety-inspection/
At government level, the National Civil Aviation Security Programme for 2026–2030 was reviewed on 29 October. The text and budget have not been published: https://www.flycentralasia.com/news/en/tajikistan-national-aviation-security-programme-2026-2030-government-meeting/
Infrastructure development is under way in parallel: on 9 October the foundation stone was laid for a new international terminal at Dushanbe airport, designed for 8.5 million passengers a year: https://www.flycentralasia.com/news/en/dushanbe-airport-new-international-terminal-foundation-stone/
The agency links international cooperation with more flights, new routes and the country's transit potential. In June its director took part in a meeting of regional civil aviation directors general of ICAO in Italy and discussed direct air links and new routes with foreign counterparts, and in October an agency delegation took part in ICAO Security Week in Astana.
Our assessment: there is no public information on the progress of the audit, and neither the results nor the timing of their publication have been announced, so it is too early to speak of an outcome. But ICAO audits shape the regulator's reputation, and through it talks on new routes and foreign partners' readiness to cooperate. For airlines, airports and companies working in aviation security training and equipment, what matters is not only the results but also how findings are addressed afterwards. This is the view of flycentralasia.