The third Sunday of August – Uzbekistan Air Fleet Day

According to the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated on July 21, 1995 year, No. PD-1206 “Day of the Air Fleet of the Republic of Uzbekistan”, the third Sunday of August is established as the Day of the Air Fleet of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The history of aviation in our country at all stages of its development has been a powerful “engine of progress”, embodied the advanced achievements of the aviation industry, exceptional patriotism, the fruits of colossal work and courage of many generations of aviators. Today this important holiday unites all those who raise aircraft into the sky and ensure their flights on the ground.

Aviation history in Uzbekistan began back in 1924, when on May 12, the first passenger flight on the route Tashkent - Pishpek - Alma-Ata was operated on the Junkers R-13 aircraft. The organization of overhead lines in those days was an urgent matter: it took 15 days to get from Tashkent to Alma-Ata on horseback, it took more than a month to travel along the caravan trails from Tashkent and Bukhara to Khiva, and the journey was unsafe. By the end of 1924, air communication had already been established along the route Kagan – Termez – Dushanbe, Kagan – Tashauz – Khiva. At the end of the twenties, the first flights to Moscow and Kabul were conducted.

1932 year. The Central Asian Civil Aviation Administration was formed, which for many years became one of the best in the Aeroflot system of the USSR. In the same year, the construction of the Tashkent airport began.

In the autumn of 1941, an aircraft factory was evacuated from the Moscow region to Tashkent. After only two months, the production of modernized Li-2 aircraft for military aviation was restored.

2,500 aviators from Uzbekistan fought on the fronts during World War ll in 1941-1945. On May 9, 1945, a pilot from Uzbekistan Abdusamad Taymetov, as part of the crew of the Li-2 aircraft (commander - A.I. Semenkov), delivered to Moscow from defeated Berlin an act of unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, the Banner of Victory, trophy banners and standards.

Since the fiftieth year of the last century, the rapid rise of aviation started. The first flight of the MI-4 helicopter took place, the jet Tu-104 began to operate flights on the Moscow-Tashkent-Moscow line, the fleet of the Civil Aviation Administration of Uzbekistan received Il-18, An-24 aircrafts. In 1967, Yak-40, Tu-134 aircrafts were mastered. On May 5, 1973, the Tashkent Aircraft Building Association named after Chkalov launched the first Il-76 superliner with a record payload capacity of more than 40 tons for that time.

In 1977, the first Tu-154 aircraft in Uzbekistan flew from Kuibyshev to Tashkent. On December 31, 2010 year, Tu-154 made its last and farewell flight on the Tashkent-Nukus-Tashkent direction.

On January 28, 1992, by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, O‘zbekiston Havo Yo‘llari National Air Company was established, and in the same year, the National Airline under the code HY (Havo Yo‘llari) operated the first international flight to London on an Il-62 aircraft. 

Uzbekistan Airways has come a long and difficult path of development. Today it is the country’s largest air carrier, the airline’s fleet mainly consists of global aircraft manufacturers – Boeing and Airbus. The fleet includes Airbus A320CEO/320NEO/321NEO, Boeing 767 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Pilatus PC-24 and LET L-410, as well as helicopters. Uzbekistan Airways operates flights to more than 50 cities around the world. The golden fund of the airline is personnel – pilots, flight attendants, engineering and technical staff, ground services and catering specialists, teaching and instructor staff.

The development of new modern airliners, the introduction of information technologies, the training of young personnel for civil aviation are the significant and main task for Uzbekistan Airways.

We congratulate all workers and veterans of the aviation industry, as well as representatives of related structures and the Air Force of Uzbekistan on the holiday.