Samarkand International Airport (SKD), Uzbekistan's second-largest airport, recorded a 43% increase in passenger traffic during the first nine months of 2024, with over 1mn passengers served. This surpasses the total annual traffic of 2023, highlighting the airport’s rapid growth, according to Air Marakanda, the airport operator.
The rise in international travel contributed significantly, with over 975,000 passengers flying to global destinations, making up the bulk of the traffic. Popular routes included Moscow, Istanbul, St. Petersburg, Abu Dhabi, and Jeddah, accounting for 780,000 passengers, or 76% of total traffic.
Domestic flights saw more modest growth, with 49,000 passengers served during the same period.
The growth in passenger numbers is attributed to the increase in flight frequency from existing airlines and the addition of new routes. Since the start of 2024, Samarkand has added new routes to Xi'an (China), Turkistan (Kazakhstan), Tyumen, Nizhny Novgorod, and Irkutsk (Russia).
In total, the airport has operated flights on two domestic and 24 international routes in these nine months, further solidifying its role as a major hub in Uzbekistan.
In August, SKD became the second fastest-growing airport in Europe and Central Asia over the last five years, marking a milestone in its post-Covid recovery and expansion. The airport recorded 22 consecutive months of passenger growth. Classified as a medium-sized airport, handling between one and ten million passengers annually, SKD has earned a spot among the top 10 regional airports in Central Asia, according to the World Airport Awards (SKYTRAX).
The launch of Air Samarkand, the airport’s first home-based airline, has further driven growth. The airline began scheduled flights to Istanbul in March and recently introduced twice-weekly return flights to Jeddah, catering to religious pilgrims. Air Samarkand also offers services to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, and Nha Trang, Vietnam, utilizing Airbus A321neo and A330-300 aircraft.
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