Tashkent International Airport: Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport is a major aviation hub in Central Asia, founded in 1932. Location
Tashkent Airport, once lagging behind its Central Asian counterparts, is witnessing a remarkable turnaround. From substantial upgrades to runways and amenities to the signing of agreements with Singapore’s Changi Airports, Tashkent Airport is on a promising trajectory, writes researcher Ryan John.
Years of Disapproval
The study evaluated 1,600+ Google reviews over the last three years, gaminating average ratings and conducting a sentiment inspection to recognize typical grievances.
From April to August, a noticeable spike occurred in the reviews, with an average 3.93 score.
This is a notable progression compared to last August's 3.5, a relative 12% enhancement in guest approval.
With an average Google score of 3.7, it pales against Manas (4.3), Almaty (4.2), Dushanbe (4.1), and even Ashgabat (4.3), mostly close to conventional tourism.
The airport has recently embraced changes, finalizing its second runway's refurbishment and introducing fresh dining options and a Duty-Free shop.
Several comments underscored the progress.
Passenger reviews highlight Tashkent Airport's notable improvements in infrastructure and customer satisfaction with expressions such as,
“Incredibly shocked by the changes both in the infrastructure and in the entrance to the airport,” and “The airport has gone through a lot of reconstruction and improvement of the infrastructure. The building seems fresh, new and modern.”
However, these positive notes are tempered by criticism of customer-staff relations, with comments such as,
“Modern airport but management from the 70s,” and descriptions of staff as “incredibly rude.”
Complaints about the customer service desk not answering calls and issues like one visitor's experience that the airport “does not meet international airport standards” reflect that the enhancement of staff interactions is the next significant challenge to address.
Although improving, Tashkent Airport needs to augment staff interactions to reach its rivals' standards in customer service
The findings may uplift Tashkent’s tourism, supported by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's $630 mn boost to the tourism industry, encompassing 58 projects such as hotel and tour operator subsidies.
Tashkent International Airport Among Most “Stressful” Airports
Tashkent International Airport finds itself among the world's most "stressful" airports in a ranking compiled by the Hawaiian Islands information portal. While airports in Great Britain, Greece, and France lead the ranking, Tashkent occupies a significant spot in the ranking of Central Asian and Middle Eastern Airports in terms of customer experience.
In the Middle East and Central Asia, Istanbul's Sabihe Gokchan Airport ranks highest in stress (62.65%), with Israel’s Ben Gurion (53.58%) and Turkey’s Antalya (53.04%) following.
Tashkent International Airport, named after Islam Karimov, ranks 7th with an index of 46.02%. Other Central Asian airports like Kazakhstan’s Almaty (46.84%), Shymkent (40.03%), Astana (35.96%), and Kyrgyzstan’s Manas (37.48%) also appear on the list. The ranking is based on over 1,500 reviews for more than 500 airports worldwide, considering the frequency and the number of complaints.
Future outlook
Tashkent International Airport has recorded an impressive 40% increase in passenger traffic during the first half of the year, reaching a total of 4.7 million passengers.
The airport's success is a result of a surge in the number of airlines operating locally, now at 59, including seven resident companies. Substantial infrastructure upgrades are also underway across Uzbekistan, emphasizing the nation's commitment to aviation development.
Collaborations with international experts, such as Singapore's Changi airport for the Tashkent airport project, and the introduction of new airlines highlight the ongoing efforts to enhance airport services and foster a robust aviation sector in the country.
Yesterday Uzbekistan Airports announced the cancellation of its contract with ex-chairperson, Rano Juraeva. Juraeva had signed a three-year contract extension with Uzbekistan Airports in 2022.
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