New low-cost airline starts operation in Fall 2022

The Chairman of the Board of Uzbekistan Airports Rano Juraeva revealed some news about the new regional Silk Avia airline during the first Tashkent International Investment Forum.

“We will try to deliver the planes and make the first flights by this autumn.” the chairwoman said.

She noted that the work on the Silk Avia project had been underway that would meet the demand for air transportation within the country. It is planned to launch not only the capital to regions routes but also shuttles planes between the regions too.

“There are no regional transportations here and they need to be developed. We just want to open about 40 directions now that will boost domestic tourism. I noticed that even to tourist destinations such as Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva, people are forced to travel by train, bus or taxi, because either there are no tickets or it is expensive. I looked at the statistics on domestic routes - in 2021 we served about a million passengers. Of course, the demand is huge. People have difficulty moving around the country. Therefore, we are in a hurry and hope that by the fall we will have delivered the planes and made the first flights,” said Rano Juraeva.

The chairman also noted that at the first stage, three regional aircraft with 70 seats are expected to arrive. In her opinion, aircraft with such a capacity are optimal for regional air transportation. Rano Juraeva also added that the regional airline hub will be based at the new Samarkand airport.