Uzbekistan aims to become regional aviation hub connecting East and West

The president made the remarks in an interview for the “Menimcha” program on the Uzbekistan 24 TV channel. He noted that Uzbek airlines currently operate 105 aircraft, but within the next five years, their number will grow by 75. The number of routes will reach 230, and the total annual volume of domestic and international flights will exceed 200,000.

At present, 51 foreign airlines operate regular flights to Uzbekistan from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, South Korea, China, India, Malaysia, Turkey, Russia, Poland, and several other countries.

According to the broadcast, the new airport complex will cover 1,310 hectares – comparable to 16 Tashkent City complexes, 1,580 football stadiums, or half of the Uchtepa district.

“We have done the calculations: once the fleet reaches 180 aircraft and all related measures are implemented, the state will earn more than 700 million US dollars annually,” President Mirziyoyev said.

He emphasized that the project is aimed at further developing the country’s transport infrastructure. “Our ancestors used to say that road work is the hardest work. We are building railways and metro lines, and now we will improve our air routes. I believe this will serve the people’s benefit,” Mirziyoyev said.

The new airport project was developed by the Dutch company Naco Consulting, which has long-standing experience in designing international aviation hubs.

The site for the airport was selected based on safety requirements and optimal take-off and landing conditions, the president explained.

“This is the junction between Tashkent city and Tashkent region. The journey will take no more than 25 minutes – just 24 kilometers. We will organize shuttle buses, and later, God willing, build a metro connection. Everything will work in harmony,” he said.

President Mirziyoyev added that the new airport will become an integral part of New Tashkent, a 20,000-hectare city currently under development.

On 15 October, Mirziyoyev officially launched the construction of the new airport, stating that the project will lay the foundation for transforming Uzbekistan into a regional aviation hub “connecting East and West, North and South.”

The airport will be located around 7 kilometers east of Yangiyul. The project is being implemented under a public–private partnership model with participation from Vision Invest (Saudi Arabia, 45%), Sojitz Corporation (Japan, 30%), Incheon Airport Corporation (South Korea, 15%), and Uzbekistan Airports (10%). The first stage will attract 2.6 billion US dollars in investment, including 1.8 billion for terminal construction and 800 million for airfield infrastructure.

The airport will have an annual capacity of up to 20 million passengers and 129,000 tons of cargo. It will handle up to 30 take-offs and landings per hour and accommodate 62 aircraft simultaneously. The duty-free area will cover 46,000 square meters. The site will be connected by high-speed motorways and a railway line. The project is expected to generate over 27 billion US dollars in state revenue.

In September, Uzbekistan Airways signed a firm contract in New York with Boeing for the purchase of 14 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, with an option for 8 more aircraft of the same type. Deliveries will begin in 2031 (initially planned for 2029–2032). Since 2016, Uzbekistan Airways has remained the only operator of this aircraft type in Central Asia.

Earlier in March, Uzbekistan reached an agreement to purchase 14 Airbus aircraft and lease five more.

In November 2022, Uzbekistan signed contracts for the purchase of 17 Airbus and ATR aircraft worth nearly 800 million euros.