UZBEKISTAN: Uzbekistan Airways Drops From Its Fleet Soviet-made Aircraft

Uzbekistan Airways was the world’s last remaining commercial operator of the Ilyushin IL-114-100.

Uzbekistan Airways officially phased out the last of its Ilyushin IL-114-100 regional turboprops on May 1, thus bringing to an end the era of Soviet-built aircraft in its fleet.

The switch makes the airline an all-jet operator, in a move which is expected to increase the efficiency and the commercial yield of its operations, the airline explains.

Uzbekistan’s national carrier is believed to be the last major airline in the territory of the former Soviet Union to say goodbye to its Russian/Soviet-made passenger aircraft.

Most recently at the end of 2016, Russia’s closest ally, Belarus’ flag carrier Belavia, has replaced its last Tupolev Tu-154s with Boeing 737-800s.

Uzbekistan Airways was the world’s only commercial operator of the Ilyushin IL-114-100, which it used on domestic flights.

The aircraft fleet with registration numbers UK-91104, UK-91105, UK-91106, UK-91107, UK-91108 and UK-91109, were built between 2006 and 2012 and were delivered to the airline between 2008 and 2013 under a series of contracts with local Tashkent Chkalov Aviation Production Company, now known as Tashkent Mechanical Plant.

Now all six of the 52-seat aircraft, powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW-127Н engines, are being offered for sale or lease, with one potential customer believed to be Kyrgyzstan’s Air KG.

Uzbekistan Airways says its IL-114 flight crews are currently being re-trained and type rated for Boeing and Airbus aircraft types.

The carrier currently operates 21 passenger aircraft, including two Boeing 787-8s, six Boeing 767-300ERs, four Boeing 757-200s and nine Airbus A320s.

Four more aircraft, one B757 and three Avro RJ85 regional jets are believed to be in storage. The airline also operates two Boeing 767-300F freighters and two government VIP aircraft – a B767-300ER and an A320.


Tourism Observer

RUSSIA: Aeroflot Receives Prestigious Award For Its Mobile App

Aeroflot has received the prestigious TADVISER IT-PRIZE 2017 in the Mobile App of the Year nomination .

The awards ceremony for companies with the most advanced IT integrations was held on May 31st at the TAdviser SummIT forum in Moscow, which brought together clients and providers of leading edge IT services.

The event was organised by TAdviser.ru, which is Russia’s leading portal in the field of corporate digitalization under the auspices of the Russian Ministry of Communications.

Mobile app development is one of the key aspects of Aeroflot’s strategy. Aeroflot’s mobile app is the company’s most rapidly growing sales channel.

Monthly ticket sales via Aeroflot’s mobile app total more than RUB 1 billion.

The app’s user base is also growing rapidly, with more than 1 million active users at present.

Aeroflot’s mobile app offers a qualitatively new level of customer service as well as a range of useful services, from check-in and personal account management to choosing the right fare and buying a ticket.

The number of services will expand further. Aeroflot plans to update its app at least once a month.

Mobile apps have enabled more feedback from customers. Aeroflot passengers actively use all communication channels, including AppStore and Google Play reviews, to share their opinions, views and recommendations with regards to mobile apps and their functionality.

Aeroflot is a leader among both domestic and international airlines when it comes to implementing cutting-edge IT.

Aeroflot has been ranked fourth among global airlines in terms of digitalization, according to Bain&Company’s rating.

British Airways is likely to lose its four-star status because of cost-cutting and poor service, leaving it trailing Russia’s carrier.

British Airways is expected to be downgraded to a three-star rating because of declining standards — leaving it with a worse rating than Russia’s Aeroflot.

Skytrax, a research organisation that reviews all the world’s major carriers, said it is “likely” BA will lose its existing four-star grade, which it said had become less and less valid because of cost-cutting.

Demotion to a three-star airline would put BA which once boasted the slogan “the world’s favourite airline” — on a par with Uzbekistan Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Myanmar Airways and Ryanair.

UZBEKISTAN: Uzbekistan Airways Resumed Flights To Pakistan

The first Uzbekistan flight landed in Lahore as per the schedule according to which the Uzbek flagship carrier will operate two flights a week – Wednesday and Friday – from Tashkent to Lahore.

Uzbekistan Airways resumed its flight operation from Tashkent to Lahore on Wednesday following a four-year pause.

Uzbekistan Airways suspended its flight operation for Pakistan in 2013 after it lacked a required number of passengers. Later, Tashkent-to-Lahore flight operation was rescheduled and had to resume in July 2016.

Even some air tickets had been sold out for the Lahore-Tashkent flight scheduled on July 20 last year, but yet its resumption was cancelled for an indefinite period.

Now after a four-year gap, the Lahore-Tashkent flight operation has successfully resumed.

Earlier this year, the General Manager of Uzbekistan Airways Hamid met the top officials of Uzbekistan Airways in Tashkent. Later he confirmed to media about the resumption of the Lahore-Tashkent flight operation in April 2017.

The Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Furkat Sidikov, described the resumption of Lahore-Tashkent flight operation a great achievement.

The Uzbek ambassador said that the flight operation will take the already-enhanced relationship between Pakistan and Uzbekistan to the next level. He said that the flight operation will also improve the people-to-people contact, and eventually it will help cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Uzbekistan Airways will launch two flights a week from Lahore to Tashkent.

This was confirmed by General Manager of Uzbekistan Airways Hamid Mahmood here on Friday by reaching Islamabad after his successful meetings with top administration of Uzbekistan Airways in Tashkent.

Hamid Mahmood said that flights would operate on every Wednesday and Friday..

It may be mentioned that Uzbekistan Airways in in 2013 suspended flight operations from Pakistan due to less load issue but now a plan has been chalked out to keep smooth operation intact in future.

Uzbek Embassy in Islamabad had been working to resume flights since new Ambassador Furqat SIDIQOV took over charge since year 2015 as he believes that enhancing bilateral relations between Uzbekistan and Pakistan needs people to people contact and travelling to and from Pakistan to Uzbekistan became expensive after suspension flights between the two countries.

General Manager of Uzbekistan Airways Hamid Mahmood said that his meeting with Tuldashev Dilshod Commercial Director Uzbekistan Airways was successful and decision came out of meeting or resumption of flights from the first week of new schedule of Uzbekistan Airways.

It may be mentioned that Uzbekistan Airways changes flight schedule on April 1 of every year for switching to its Winter Schedule.

Hamid Mahmood further said that Uzbekistan Airways has planned to enhance tourism activities between the both countries and his meeting with Mukhamedjanov the Chief of Tourism Division ended with an understanding that both the countries would enhance tourism visa quota so tourism between the two friendly countries could be increased in year 2017.

UZBEKISTAN: Uzbekistan Visa-free Regime Put Off Till 2021

The decree of the President of Uzbekistan on abolishing of visa regime for tourists from 27 countries earlier planned for 1 April 2017 is postponed until 1 January 2021, reports Gazeta.Uz.

The proposal on visa waiver postponement has been prepared by the State Tourism Development Committee, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior Affairs, State Customs Committee and other structures.

According to the new decree, the decision to postpone visa cancellation was taken to create necessary technical support and resources, to develop tourist activities in a sustainable and balanced way, to ensure the health and safety of tourists and residents, as well as to develop equitable economic cooperation with foreign countries.

The previous decree from 2 December stated abolishment of visa regime for citizens of 15 states and tourists aged 55 from 12 countries.

It is also to mention that introduction of electronic visas and the systems of "green corridor" customs control for foreigners at international airports of Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Urgench as well as separate passport control for residents and non-residents of the country at airports and railway stations, are also in the list of postponement.

From April 1, 2017 no visa is required for the citizens of Australia, Austria, Great Britain, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Finland, Switzerland and Japan to visit Uzbekistan as a tourist for no more than 30 days.

The same applies to the tourists over 55 years of age from Kingdom of Belgium, Indonesia, China (as a part of tourist groups), Malaysia, the USA, France, Vietnam, Israel, Poland, Hungary, Portugal and the Czech Republic.

Citizens of these countries pay an entry fee of $50; the document confirming payment will guarantee entry into the country.

In addition, by April 2017 airports of the most touristic destinations, Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Urgench, will implement "green corridor" customs control for foreign tourists to simplify passport and customs control, baggage collection procedures.

At the airports and train stations separate passport control for residents and non-residents will be deployed to create additional facilities and accelerate arrival and departure procedures for foreign citizens.

Uzbekistan took the second place in the list of hot travel destinations in 2017 according to the Financial Times; it was reported on the official website of the newspaper. The rating was compiled from a survey of tourism market leaders.

It has been noted that The article says that demand has been boosted by recent books and television programmes on BBC and Discovery Channels.

For those without the months needed to make a full journey along the route, Uzbekistan offers a convenient taste of some of the highlights — including the mosques, mausoleums, mosaics and minarets of the ancient trading cities of Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand.

However, the allure of such sites has always been tempered by the difficulties of getting a visa. But from April 2017 citizens of 15 countries and travelers over 55 from 12 countries will no longer require any sort of visa.

Along with Uzbekistan, the Financial Times ranking listed Nepal, Kenya, Finland, the Andaman Islands, United Kingdom, Madagascar, Cambodia and New Zealand.

A group of archaeologists from China and Uzbekistan made a significant discovery during excavations in the ruins of the ancient city Mingtepa in the south-east of the Ferghana valley, reports the information agency "Xinhua News".

It was reported on Tuesday at the forum of archeologists of China Academy of Social Sciences.

The excavations testify that over 2000 years ago Mingtepa was not merely temporary garrison fortress of nomads, but a full value city-fortress, moreover, the largest one in the Ferghana valley. Studio ruins, remaining part of the western gates of the inner city and the cemetery at the eastern wall of the external city were found during the digging process.

Mingtepa, being located not far from the current city of Andijan in the south-east of Uzbekistan, once belonged to the territory of the ancient Central Asian State of Davan. Cooperative works carried out by Chinese and Uzbek archaeologists shed light to the research of the Davan.

Also, it gave a start to participation of Chinese archaeologists in the excavations beyond the country.

Mingtepa research will be a long-lasting project and the next step will be making the chronology of Mingtepa based on discoveries.

On April 5, 2017 Uzbekistan Airways launched a new flight connecting Tashkent and Lahore, reported the press service of the airline.

Tashkent-Lahore flights will be operated twice a week on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and aircrafts will depart from Lahore on Wednesdays and Fridays. Flight will take two and a half hours.

Journalist of the National Geographic Mark Synnott was a part of international expedition of speleologists researching one of the deepest caves of the world located on the territory of Uzbekistan and later shared his story on the Nat Geo website.

The depth of the unique cave in the Boysun mountains is estimated by the scientists to be 2650 m, however, no one yet managed to reach the bottom of the cave, thus its true depth is still indefinite.

The deepest cave known to the scientific world is the cave Krubera in Georgia, 2196 m deep, but "underground Everest" in Uzbekistan can already lay up a claim to this place.

The research of the cave began with the British speleologists in 1990 naming it the Dark Star after a fictional film of the director John Carpenter. Since then the cave had attracted speleologists and extreme lovers.

In his article Sinott describes the Dark star as a geological time capsule, because Mineral deposits found there reveal millennia of climate history.

Mark Synnott's article on the Dark Star will be published in the March edition of the National Geographic.

On 21 March 2017 the international passenger train № 1/2 Almaty – Tashkent was launched from the station Almaty-2 to cater to the growing demand of passengers in the region, as per the release issued Kazakhstan National Railways press-centre.

The train is formed of “Tulpar-Talgo” cars with a wide body. The train Almaty-Tashkent consists of 29 cars and will run twice a week. Travel time is about 16 hours 30 minutes.

UZBEKISTAN: Ukraine And Uzbekistan To Resume Tashkent – Kyiv Flights

The aviation authorities of Uzbekistan and Ukraine plan to hold talks in Tashkent on the resumption of regular flights on the Tashkent-Kyiv-Tashkent route, the press service of Uzbekistan’s Embassy in Ukraine said.

Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Ukraine Alisher Abdualiyev noted that the last Tashkent-Kyiv-Tashkent flight was conducted in May 2015.

“Since then we have not had regular flights on this route, which affected the volume of mutual trade and the development of international tourism. As we can see, the lack of air communication between the two capitals leads to the loss of potential revenues for the both sides. At the same time, air carriers of third countries get additional advantage in this situation,” the ambassador said.

According to Abdualiyev, as the result of the meetings held in the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the State Aviation Service of Ukraine, the negotiations between the aviation authorities of the two countries have been scheduled for the beginning of 2017 in Tashkent.

“It is too early to speak about any results, there are a number of unresolved issues, but there is a hope that the parties will soon find a compromise that takes into account, first of all, needs and interests of the civilian population, as well as business circles of the two countries,” the ambassador said.

In 2013, Uzbekistan Airways, the national airline of Uzbekistan, planned to stop regular flights on the Tashkent-Kyiv-Tashkent route. It explained that the reason for the flight cancellation could be a conflict with UIA, which it said was exerting pressure on its Uzbek partners, involving the aviation authorities and diplomats in order to get specific slots (permits to fly on certain days and certain time) of Tashkent International Airport. UIA denied this, saying that it was ready for cooperation.

In mid 2014, Uzbekistan Airways and UIA agreed to enter into an interline agreement on mutual recognition of traffic documents, as well as a code-sharing agreement, joint operation of the same flight.

In May 2015, Uzbekistan Airways again temporarily suspended Tashkent-Kyiv-Tashkent flights in the absence of the agreement between the aviation authorities of Uzbekistan and Ukraine concerning the operation of the agreed services.

Later, the then Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine, Andriy Pyvovarsky, expressed hope that the issue of flights on the Kyiv-Tashkent route will be resolved.

In September 2015, Uzbekistan Airways closed its office in Kyiv.

UZBEKISTAN: Ukraine And Uzbekistan To Resume Tashkent – Kyiv Flights

The aviation authorities of Uzbekistan and Ukraine plan to hold talks in Tashkent on the resumption of regular flights on the Tashkent-Kyiv-Tashkent route, the press service of Uzbekistan’s Embassy in Ukraine said.

Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Ukraine Alisher Abdualiyev noted that the last Tashkent-Kyiv-Tashkent flight was conducted in May 2015.

“Since then we have not had regular flights on this route, which affected the volume of mutual trade and the development of international tourism. As we can see, the lack of air communication between the two capitals leads to the loss of potential revenues for the both sides. At the same time, air carriers of third countries get additional advantage in this situation,” the ambassador said.

According to Abdualiyev, as the result of the meetings held in the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the State Aviation Service of Ukraine, the negotiations between the aviation authorities of the two countries have been scheduled for the beginning of 2017 in Tashkent.

“It is too early to speak about any results, there are a number of unresolved issues, but there is a hope that the parties will soon find a compromise that takes into account, first of all, needs and interests of the civilian population, as well as business circles of the two countries,” the ambassador said.

In 2013, Uzbekistan Airways, the national airline of Uzbekistan, planned to stop regular flights on the Tashkent-Kyiv-Tashkent route. It explained that the reason for the flight cancellation could be a conflict with UIA, which it said was exerting pressure on its Uzbek partners, involving the aviation authorities and diplomats in order to get specific slots (permits to fly on certain days and certain time) of Tashkent International Airport. UIA denied this, saying that it was ready for cooperation.

In mid 2014, Uzbekistan Airways and UIA agreed to enter into an interline agreement on mutual recognition of traffic documents, as well as a code-sharing agreement, joint operation of the same flight.

In May 2015, Uzbekistan Airways again temporarily suspended Tashkent-Kyiv-Tashkent flights in the absence of the agreement between the aviation authorities of Uzbekistan and Ukraine concerning the operation of the agreed services.

Later, the then Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine, Andriy Pyvovarsky, expressed hope that the issue of flights on the Kyiv-Tashkent route will be resolved.

In September 2015, Uzbekistan Airways closed its office in Kyiv.

IRAN: Korean Air Enters Iran's Cargo Market

Korean Air Cargo and Uzbekistan Airways have launched a new cargo partnership in Tehran following the removal of some sanctions on Iran.

The partnership will enable cargo moving within Korean Air Cargo's network to reach Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport via Uzbekistan Air’s Navoi hub.

Korean Air Cargo already partners with Uzbekistan Air to feed cargo into Frankfurt. By the end of April it will be able to make use of the airline’s twice weekly service to Tehran with one of its 767-300Fs.

Korean Air stands to gain a sizeable foothold in Iran's cargo market through this partnership.

It was announced last month that Iran's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport had granted Korean Air Lines the rights to operate passenger flights capable of carrying belly cargo, four times weekly between Incheon and Tehran.

UZBEKISTAN: Uzbekistan Airways Increases Number Of International Flights

National Air company “Uzbekistan Airways” introduced additional flights in directions Tashkent – New-York-Tashkent and Tashkent-Kaliningrad-Tashkent.

Uzbekistan Airways airplanes fly to Kaliningrad not only on Sundays, but also on Wednesdays. Departure time from Uzbek capital is at 09:45, arrival in Kaliningrad at 12:20.

Return flight is at 14.10 with arrival in Tashkent at 22:45.

Additional regular flight have been launched in direction of Tashkent-New-York-Tashkent, which operate on Thursdays.

Thus, round way flights from Tashkent to New-York is twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays. Departure time from Tashkent is 04.40 with arrival in New-York at 12:30.

Return flight is at 15:00 and arrives in Tashkent at 15:05-16:05.

Besides, a new regular flight Tashkent-Minsk-Tashkent was launched by the air company.

Flights to the Republic of Belarus will be operated on a new air-bus A320 twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

UZBEKISTAN: Tashkent And Minsk Connect With Uzbekistan Airways

On 2 July 2015 the National Air company “Uzbekistan Airways” started operating regular flights to the capital of Belarus – Minsk.

Flights HY709/710 in route Tashkent – Minsk-Tashkent will be operated twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

On Tuesdays the flight from Tashkent will be at 18.50, arrival in Minsk at 22.05. Departure from Minsk is at 23.35, with arrival in Tashkent at 06.25 on Wednesday.

On Thursdays departure from Tashkent is at 07.00, with arrival in Minsk at 10.15. Departure from Minsk is at 11.45, arrival in Tashkent- at 18.30.

UZBEKISTAN: Uzbekistan Airways Received Award In Singapore

National Air Company “Uzbekistan Airways” was in the top five air-companies performing flights to the Singapore Changi airport, – reports the press-service of the company.

Changi Airport annually holds a contest “Changi Airline Awards” selecting the best airline companies in different nominations. This year Uzbekistan Airways participated in the contest for the nomination “The Best Airlines company in marketing 2015”. “Uzbekistan Airways” entered the top five of the best air-carriers among which there were “AirFrance”, “Turkish Airlines”, “Singapore Airlines” and “Tiger Air”.

The direction to Singapore, opened in April 2014, is currently one of the most demanded and popular ones among passengers of National Air Company, is noted on the website uzairways.uz.