LANGKAWI, Malaysia—Singapore’s Changi Airport International (CAI) and Uzbekistan Airports Joint Stock Company have signed an agreement to jointly develop Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport (TAS) with the aim to increase the Uzbek capital airport’s operational efficiency.
CAI will provide consultancy and technical services to Uzbekistan Airports in the management and operation of the existing Tashkent Airport, including capacity optimization, improving operational standards, commercial planning and traffic development. In addition, CAI will develop and complete a feasibility study regarding the new Tashkent Airport Project for Uzbekistan Airports.
The deal was signed on the sidelines of the state visit of Singapore President Halimah Yacob to Uzbekistan.
“The existing airport has many limitations—with its location in the center of the city, there is simply nowhere to expand it. At the same time, passenger traffic is fast increasing with the airport reaching its capacity and not having enough aircraft parking lots during peak periods,” Uzbekistan Airports Chairman Rano Juraeva said. “Therefore, we are working on the issue of building a new airport. We have invited the best airport in the world, Changi Airports International, to be our consultant to help us develop a feasibility study, taking into account the creation of an international hub and the use of the most modern airport technologies in the construction of a new air harbor.”
TAS is the third busiest in central Asia, and according to CAPA/OAG data, its key markets are to eastern and central Europe, followed by Northeast Asia and the Middle East.
Passenger traffic at Uzbekistan’s main international gateway exceeded pre-pandemic levels in 2022 to reach 5 million passengers. New routes launched during the year included Uzbekistan Airways’ flights to Batumi, Georgia, and Air Arabia Abu Dhabi’s service from Abu Dhabi International Airport.
During the first half of 2023, OAG Schedules Analyser data shows that capacity from the airport will be about 1.7 million departure seats, representing a rise of 29% compared with the first six months of 2019.
A total of 27 airlines provide scheduled passenger flights to TAS at present, led by Uzbekistan Airways, which has a 61% share of capacity. Turkish Airlines is the second-largest carrier with a 7.6% share, followed by Aeroflot on 4.7%.
Russia is the largest international market from Tashkent, with more than 92,000 departure seats available in May 2023—up by 30% on the same month in 2019.
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