Air passenger traffic in Uzbekistan increases 6.5-fold over 25 years

Passenger traffic through air transport in Uzbekistan has increased sharply over the past quarter century, reaching nearly 9.7 million travelers in 2025, according to preliminary data released by the National Statistics Committee.

The figure represents a rise of about 8.2 million passengers compared with 2000 – an increase of approximately 6.5 times over 25 years.

Long-term growth in air travel

In 2000, Uzbekistan’s air transport system served around 1.5 million passengers. The number fluctuated during the early 2000s, falling to 1.1 million in 2001 and 0.8 million in both 2002 and 2003 before gradually recovering.

Passenger traffic surpassed the 1 million mark again in 2006 and continued to grow steadily, reaching 1.9 million in 2010 and 2.5 million in 2012.

Growth slowed somewhat in the middle of the decade, with passenger numbers ranging between 2.1 million and 2.4 million from 2013 to 2017. However, the trend reversed after 2018 as demand for air travel expanded.

Pandemic disruption and rapid recovery

The sector experienced a sharp decline in 2020 when passenger numbers dropped to 0.9 million due to global travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Air travel recovered quickly in the following years. Passenger traffic rose to 3.0 million in 2021 and continued to increase to 4.1 million in 2022 and 5.3 million in 2023.

The growth accelerated further in recent years, reaching 6.8 million passengers in 2024 and nearly 9.7 million in 2025 – the highest level recorded in the country’s aviation sector.