Uzbekistan's first privately held airline, Qanot Sharq, has successfully maintained its status as the country's second-largest carrier in 2024, following the state-owned Uzbekistan Airways, according to CentralAsia+ Aero.
The airline transported 601,400 passengers last year, operating over 4,000 flights. The airline also reported an average passenger seat load factor of 85%, surpassing that of Uzbekistan Airways.
A company representative shared that nearly all of the airline's flights were international, with services connecting Uzbekistan to several key destinations, including China, Israel, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam.
In 2024, the total passenger traffic of Uzbekistan’s airlines exceeded 7.45mn, with Uzbekistan Airways carrying the majority at over 6.2mn passengers. Meanwhile, private carriers Centrum Air and Air Samarkand reported passenger traffic of more than 500,000 and 152,600, respectively.
In October, Qanot Sharq received the CCAR-129 certificate from Chinese aviation authorities, allowing it to operate scheduled flights to China.
In 2024, Uzbekistan welcomed 8.2mn foreign tourists, an increase from 6.6mn in 2023. Of the total visitors, 50.2% (4.1mn) were men, while 49.8% (4.08mn) were women.
Uzbekistan's tourist numbers have steadily increased in 2024, reaching 5.7mn by October. The first quarter saw 1.5mn visitors, including a rise in EU tourists. By May, arrivals surpassed 2.8mn, with 10,600 from the U.S.
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