Representatives from Uzbekistan Airports and the Chinese airline Loong Air held a working meeting to discuss the launch of a new international route between Xi'an and Fergana, as well as expanding cooperation on existing services.
Representatives from Uzbekistan Airports and the Chinese airline Loong Air held a working meeting to discuss the launch of a new international route between Xi'an and Fergana, as well as expanding cooperation on existing services.
During the meeting, Uzbekistan Airports management met with a delegation from Loong Air led by Xiao Wei, the airline's General Manager of Marketing. The parties reviewed the possibility of increasing flight frequency on current routes, expanding passenger services, including Fast Track service and access to airport lounges, as well as implementing joint marketing projects with duty-free operators in Uzbekistan airports.
The central topic of discussion was the potential Xi'an-Fergana route. Participants analyzed the commercial attractiveness of this new service, noting that the Fergana Valley is the most densely populated region in Uzbekistan, possessing significant tourism potential and active business activity.
The Commercial Department of Uzbekistan Airports reported that in recent years, the number of enterprises with Chinese investments in the Fergana Valley has increased, and the number of Chinese citizens traveling to this region for investment and business projects has also grown. These factors, according to the company, create prerequisites for sustainable demand for passenger transport on this route.
Following the meeting, the parties agreed to continue joint work on launching the Xi'an-Fergana flights and to cooperate in increasing flight frequency on existing routes to Tashkent and Samarkand.
Loong Air is based in Hangzhou, China, and operates both domestic and international passenger flights. Currently, it operates nine scheduled flights per week to Uzbekistan on the routes Xi'an-Tashkent, Chengdu-Tashkent, and Xi'an-Samarkand.
Uzbekistan and the United Kingdom are negotiating the creation of a direct air route connecting Tashkent and Manchester. The implementation of such a connection is intended to improve conditions for business and tourist travel, as well as expand transit potential.
The Ambassador of Uzbekistan to the UK, Ravshan Usmanov, met with the Director of Corporate Affairs at Manchester Airports Group, Rhys Wally. The main subject of discussion was the possibility of opening a direct flight from Tashkent to Manchester.
Representatives of the British side emphasized that Manchester Airport holds a prominent position among the largest transport hubs in both the UK and Northern Europe. Over 32 million passengers pass through this airport annually, and the current infrastructure allows for an increase in this figure to 70 million in the future.
The participants concluded that the active development of the aviation sector in Uzbekistan and the expansion of local carriers' capabilities create favorable prerequisites for launching a new international destination. Manchester Airports Group expressed its readiness to support Uzbek airlines in implementing this project.
The company believes that a direct air connection will strengthen business and tourist ties between the two countries and enhance Uzbekistan's status as a transit hub between Europe and other regions. The parties agreed to continue joint work on resolving all necessary organizational issues for the launch of flights.
