Uzbekistan Airways celebrating 30 years of cooperation with Airbus

Thirty years of fruitful cooperation between Uzbekistan Airways and one of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers Airbus is celebrated this year. The process of renewing the Uzbekistan Airways fleet was launched with the deliveries of Airbus aircraft. Thanks to this, the airline was able to operate flights to popular countries around the world in the first years of its existence.

How did the first Airbus aircraft purchased by Uzbekistan Airways look like?

Uzbekistan Airways’ first contract with Airbus was signed after much work, trips to Airbus factories, studying technical features of the aircraft, and retraining of pilots for new types of aircraft in Germany and France.

As a result, on June 16, 1993, Uzbekistan Airways received its first two Airbus A310 aircraft, which were later joined by four more aircraft. These aircraft were operating flights from Tashkent to New York, Moscow, London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Istanbul, Tel-Aviv, Bangkok, Kuala-Lumpur and Seoul. Each of the aircraft had a spacious, comfortable cabin and was designed to carry 192 passengers.

A new step in the partnership between Uzbekistan Airways and Airbus

The next important stage in cooperation between Uzbekistan Airways and Airbus was the contract signature for six A320 aircraft in 2007, followed by four more aircraft of this type ordered the next year. The year 2019 was a memorable one, with Uzbekistan Airways receiving a re-engined version of the A320, known as the A320neo. This type featured new-generation engines, while the main change for passengers was an incredibly quiet cabin.

The A320neo is today the quietest aircraft in its class. That, in turn, creates extra comfort for passengers on long flights.

Which changes are going to be made in the new Airbus aircraft in the future?

The biggest agreement in the recent years was the contract signature between Uzbekistan Airways and Airbus for 12 A320neo Family aircraft. A new passengers cabin Airbus will be the main distinctive feature of the new airliners.

The cabins of these aircraft will be more spacious, well-lighted, equipped with capacious luggage bins and renovated lavatories equipped with antimicrobial surfaces. Deliveries of the new aircraft will begin in 2029.

“The top priority for every airline is undoubtedly to increase its fleet. Uzbekistan Airways is also working in this direction. We have been cooperating with Airbus for a long time and maintain promising agreements signed for the benefit of our passengers. We have been operating airplanes of this company for 30 years and we will continue to work on getting new ones in the near future”, - Ilkhom Makhkamov, the CEO of Uzbekistan Airways.

Why does Uzbekistan Airways always choose the A320/321?

There are a number of reasons why Uzbekistan Airways always chooses Airbus A320/321 models. First of all, the A320neo Family aircraft are the most fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly in its class. Highly efficient engines reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by 20%. Second, the A320/321 aircraft types have an identical cockpit. This enables the airline to reduce costs on pilot training and aircraft maintenance. Third, these aircraft models have a wider cabin. This allows airlines to install wider seats for passenger’s maximum comfort. In addition, these aircraft have the largest luggage bins in their class.

Are Uzbekistan Airways and Airbus planning to implement other projects?

According to Airbus PR-manager Maria Shlyakhtova, the aircraft manufacturer is interested in developing long-term cooperation with Uzbekistan Airways and joint projects in the future.

To the Uzbekistan Airways inflight magazine, she stated the following: “Uzbekistan Airways is one of the key partners of Airbus in the CIS region. We are confident that we can find new opportunities for joint projects which would be interesting and mutually beneficial for both parties. We are open to discussing new opportunities.”

Currently, Uzbekistan Airways’ fleet includes 17 Airbus Family aircraft. The long-term cooperation between the two companies is based on mutual understanding, support and trust. To develop the route network and provide passengers with safe flights, Uzbekistan Airways will continue its chosen path of cooperation with Airbus.