Lack of planes limits Uzbekistan Airways’ expansion, carrier says

Speaking at a press conference on January 28, Uzbekistan Airways chairman Shukhrat Khudaykulov said the carrier’s capacity constraints had limited its ability to expand at the pace seen in previous years. He noted that public mobility has increased steadily over the past eight to nine years.

In 2025, the national airline operated more than 52,000 round-trip flights, an increase of just over 8 percent compared with the previous year. Khudaykulov described this growth as insufficient, pointing out that annual growth rates reached around 20 percent two years ago.

“The growth is modest, just 8 percent, primarily due to a shortage of aircraft,” Khudaykulov said, as reported by Spot. “Two years ago, annual growth reached 20 percent, which indicates there is still significant unmet demand.”

Passenger numbers continued to rise, with the airline carrying 6.6 million passengers in 2025, up 6.6 percent year on year. Uzbekistan’s airports collectively handled 15.5 million passengers, a 15 percent increase, in a country with a population exceeding 38 million. “That is not even 50 percent. There is very large potential here,” Khudaykulov said, adding that the airline would work to tap this demand as much as possible.

During the year, Uzbekistan Airways launched four new routes and resumed flights on four additional routes, mainly from Andijan. At the same time, cargo turnover declined by 21.9 percent to 52,000 tons.

According to Planespotters data, the airline’s fleet comprises 47 aircraft, of which 38 are currently in operation. The fleet is dominated by the medium-haul Airbus A320, which accounts for nearly half of all aircraft.