Uzbekistan

Asia

2Airlines
1Profiled Airports
2With ICAO
2With Callsign

Aviation History

Uzbekistan Airways was established in January 1992 after the Soviet collapse, taking over the operations of Aeroflot's Uzbek division, and initially flew a fleet dominated by Soviet-era Antonov, Ilyushin and Tupolev aircraft. Since around 2016, under a national aviation modernization drive, the airline has retired its Soviet fleet, joined the Boeing 787 and Airbus A320neo era, and posted record profitability in the mid-2020s.

✦Uzbekistan Airways was the launch customer for the Ilyushin Il-114 turboprop in 1998.
✦Its main hub, Tashkent International Airport, was renamed Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport after the country's first president.
1992
Uzbekistan Airways founded

Established 28 January 1992 as the flag carrier, taking over Aeroflot's Uzbek division operations on 31 May 1992.

1993
First Western widebodies

Two Airbus A310-300s were acquired, the airline's first Western-built widebody aircraft.

1998
Launch customer for Ilyushin Il-114

Uzbekistan Airways became the launch operator of the Il-114 regional turboprop.

2016
First Boeing 787 Dreamliner delivered

In August 2016 the airline took delivery of its first Boeing 787-8, a centerpiece of a broader fleet-modernization push.

2018
Fleet fully transitions to jets

By May 2018 the carrier had phased out its remaining Soviet-era turboprops, operating an all-jet fleet.

2019
First Airbus A320neo received

The airline added the A320neo family to its fleet in March 2019, broadening its narrowbody modernization.

2025
Record annual profit

Uzbekistan Airways reported a record net profit of about $107.2 million and carried roughly 6.6 million passengers, while placing large orders including 22 Boeing 787-9s.

Notable Carriers

Uzbekistan Airways · Centrum Air

Wikipedia, Uzbekistan Airways corporate history, Simple Flying

Aviation Firsts

Oldest Airport

Tashkent International Airport — Tashkent (1924): Taşkent'in havacılık tarihi 12 Mayıs 1924'teki ilk yolcu uçuşuyla başlıyor (Taşkent-Pişpek(Bişkek)-Almatı hattında bir Junkers R-13); 1958'de uluslararası I. Sınıf havalimanı statüsü aldı. Hâlâ işletimde (2025'te ~9.99 milyon yolcu) ama yeni bir Taşkent havalimanı açılınca (hedef ~2030) kapatılması planlanıyor. · TAS ↗ · Wikipedia ↗

Özbekistan Havayolları'nın kendi resmi tarihçesi, Buhara/Hiva/Termez yönündeki hava rotalarında 1924-1930 arası bir ara durak olarak 'Kagan havalimanı'ndan (Buhara yakını) bahsediyor ama bunun bugünkü Buhara Uluslararası Havalimanı'nın öncülü olup olmadığı doğrulanamadı — formel bir rakip claim olarak değil, bağlam olarak not edildi.

Oldest Airline

Özbekistan Hava Yolları (Uzbekistan Airways) (1992): 28 Ocak 1992'de (SSCB dağılmasının ardından) resmen kuruldu, 31 Mayıs 1992'de Aeroflot'un Özbek SSC birimini devraldı. IATA: HY. Şirketin kendi resmi tarihçesi, 1923'teki Türkistan Havacılık Derneği ve 1924'teki ilk yolcu uçuşu/uçak bakım atölyesine kadar uzanan Sovyet-dönemi bir havacılık soyuna işaret ediyor ama bunlar ayrı bir 'Özbek havayolu' olarak adlandırılmıyor — şirket kendi kuruluşunu yalnızca 1992'ye tarihlendiriyor. · HY ↗ · Wikipedia ↗

First Foreign Ground Handler

No documented foreign entrant found. The closest lead — Çelebi Aviation's November 2024 partnership with Uzbekistan Airways on the new Tashkent-Goa route — turned out, on closer reading, to involve Çelebi Ground Handling India's operations at Goa, India, not Çelebi operating within Uzbekistan; no source confirmed Çelebi handling flights at Tashkent itself. Separately, Uzbekistan Airports JSC (a domestic state company) is confirmed as the entity that sets ground-handling rates for foreign airlines, with no subcontracted foreign handler named. No foreign GH company entrant into Uzbekistan was confirmed.

Fleet by Operator

Uzbekistan Airways fleet of 45 aircraft per Wikipedia; carried over 6 million passengers in 2024 (+20% YoY). Tashkent reported 9,964,602 passengers in 2025 per Uzbekistan Airports (official, via UzDaily). — 2025

Passengers by Operator

0.0M1.5M3.0M4.5M6.0M

Uzbekistan Airways fleet of 45 aircraft per Wikipedia; carried over 6 million passengers in 2024 (+20% YoY). Tashkent reported 9,964,602 passengers in 2025 per Uzbekistan Airports (official, via UzDaily). — 2025

Annual Passenger Traffic by Airport

2025 yıllık yolcu sayıları — Uzbekistan Airways fleet of 45 aircraft per Wikipedia; carried over 6 million passengers in 2024 (+20% YoY). Tashkent reported 9,964,602 passengers in 2025 per Uzbekistan Airports (official, via UzDaily).

Airlines2

Profiled Airports1