Uzbekistan Airways has introduced new direct flights to Europe, bypassing Russian airspace, following guidance from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). This change comes as part of the airline's efforts to ensure safety and optimize its flight routes.
Since January 20, 2025, Uzbekistan Airways has been rerouting its flights through Azerbaijan and Türkiye, avoiding Russian territory. A spokesperson from the airline explained that this is a precautionary measure and, in part, an effort to optimize flight routes.
The rerouted flights have resulted in longer distances. For example, the Tashkent-Munich route, which previously flew over Russia, has increased from 4,849 kilometers to 5,156 kilometers. As a result, flight times have been extended by 30 to 40 minutes each way, leading to higher operational costs for the airline.
However, the airline’s Chairman of the Board confirmed that ticket prices will remain unchanged, stating, “This is a force majeure situation, and passengers should not bear the costs of these changes.”
The decision follows a tragic incident on December 25, 2024, when an Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, after being struck by a missile from Russia's air defense system killing 38 people.
In a related move, Uzbekistan’s Qanot Sharq airline suspended flights to Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Nizhny Novgorod earlier in January, citing "operational necessity."
Read next
21:10
central asia
Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov and China Eximbank Chairman Chen Huaiyu signed a $500 million loan agreement for the telecom sector on June 21.
19:00
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov discussed bilateral partnership and regional security on the sidelines of the OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Istanbul.
16:00
Central Asia
Uzbekistan’s Uzatom Agency and Russia’s Rosatom signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop radiation processing technologies for medical and agricultural sectors.
15:47
AZERBAIJAN-UZBEKISTAN
Baku hosted 14th meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Cooperation between the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Azerbaijan. The delegations were headed by Uzbekistan’s Minister Laziz Kudratov and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov.
12:24
UZBEKISTAN
The first pilot cargo shipment along the Uzbekistan–Kyrgyzstan–China–Mongolia transport corridor has been successfully completed.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment