Opening of Samarkand International Airport took place

On March 18, 2022, the grand opening of Samarkand International Airport took place in Samarkand. Uzbekistan Airways on the same day performed the first flight in the direction of Tashkent - Samarkand to Samarkand International Airport.

The event was attended by the management of "Uzbekistan Airways" JSC and "Uzbekistan Airports" JSC, representatives of the ministries of transport, tourism and cultural heritage, relevant departments, the media, as well as guests of honor.

Today, the tourism industry around the world is developing significantly and, of course, the number of travel enthusiasts is increasing. The potential for the development of international tourism in our region is huge. Just two decades ago, Uzbekistan was not known to the world as a promising tourist destination. The construction of such a unique complex in Samarkand will give a great impulse to the development of the tourism potential of this region. The launch of a new modern air terminal is a great opportunity to further development both domestic and foreign tourism.

 “Recent years, our government has paid great attention to the development of transport and logistics infrastructure, including tourism. The opening of such a modern complex is an incredible opportunity for our airline. Firstly, the number of route frequencies will increase, the passenger flow of tourists to our country will also increase the flow of transit passengers. Such  hub as Samarkand International Airport will provide high-quality, convenient and fast service for passengers arriving in our country,” Ilkhom Makhkamov, Chairman of the Board of “Uzbekistan Airways” Joint-Stock Company.    

Uzbekistan Airways, taking into account the expansion of the hub of Samarkand International Airport, plans to operate flights on the following routes for 2022:

• Samarkand - Moscow - Samarkand, 3 times a week

• Samarkand - St. Petersburg - Samarkand, 2 times a week

• Samarkand - Istanbul - Samarkand, 3 times a week

• Samarkand - Almaty - Samarkand, 2 times a week

• Samarkand - Tashkent - Samarkand, 3 times a week

Based on the airline’s fleet, it is also planned to develop the route network and open new destinations to Sharjah and Krasnoyarsk in 2023. Moreover, in the period 2023-2024, the possibility of opening other new directions will be considered, namely, depending on the demand to Sochi and Novosibirsk.

Participants of the event, media representatives were acquainted with the modern airport of Samarkand. It was said that the terminal building was made in the form of an open book, symbolizing the main work of the great scientist Mirzo Ulugbek "Zizhi zhadidi Kuragoniy" ("New astronomical table of  Kuragoni").

The unique complex is capable of serving 800 passengers per hour. The terminal will operate in the "open skies" mode, as well as serve cargo transportation.