The CEO of Uzbekistan Airports JSC spoke about the fifth freedom regime being introduced at the Samarkand airport, the development of domestic flights, as well as the new international airport planned to be built in the Fergana Valley.
- At the recent meeting, President Sh. Mirziyoyev entrusted the Ministry of Transport with the task of informing the aviation authorities of all countries that all restrictions on the flights and routes of foreign airlines at the Samarkand airport have been removed. Does this mean that Samarkand airport is given a special status?
- Samarkand airport is the most modern and new airport, located in the center of Uzbekistan, an ancient and magnificent city that attracts tourists. This is where the fifth freedom regime is introduced. This is a very important regime for the development of tourism. What does it give us? Based on this regime, different airlines can bring tourists from different countries. Such regimes have been introduced in major tourist cities such as Istanbul and Dubai, the centers of tourism. According to it, an airline company of one country can take tourists from a country, fly to another country, and fly to a third country from here.
For example, they asked whether tourists from Samarkand can fly to Saudi Arabia on FlyDubai airline planes from Samarkand. This airline operates flights to more than 70 cities, it is possible to fly to any of these cities from Samarkand. It is also possible to bring tourists from those cities to Samarkand.
Therefore, the special status given to the Samarkand airport is explained by the fact that Samarkand is, first of all, a popular and attractive city, ready to receive a large number of tourists. We have prepared the entire infrastructure to increase capacity, for airlines to fly to this city, to bring more tourists.
- At the meeting, the President raised the issue of increasing domestic flights. What is being done on the procurement of low-capacity domestic aircraft?
- I made several statements in the mass media earlier and reported that Silk Avia, a subsidiary of Uzbekistan Airports JSC, specialized in local routes and connecting local airports, was opening. The company has been formed. We are now preparing to deliver the first three aircraft. We have already trained 12 crew members. The first flights will start operating soon.
These aircrafts are French and Italian turboprop ATR-72-600 type planes that can accommodate 74 passengers. We are trying to buy up to 10 of such planes.
