Uzbekistan's scheduled air route network expanded by 11% in 2025 to reach 206 routes, up from 185 a year earlier, according to a new report from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Regional Air Connectivity in Uzbekistan: A 2025 Snapshot. Over the course of the year, the country launched 24 new routes and resumed flights on a further 20 destinations.

Over the past decade, the growth has been more pronounced. Between 2015 and 2025, the Central Asian nation's scheduled route network nearly doubled, rising from 109 to 206 routes – an increase of 89%. According to IATA, 57% of today's routes were not part of the 2015 network, reflecting a large-scale transformation of the country's air connectivity over the period.

The number of carriers has grown accordingly. Today, 47 airlines operate scheduled flights to Uzbekistan, compared with 16 in 2015, serving 11 airports nationwide. At the same time, IATA classifies 91% of the country's airports as regional, each offering fewer than one million departing seats per year.

Medium-haul flights, ranging from 1,500 to 4,000 km, dominate the network, accounting for 63% of routes. Short-haul routes under 500 km and long-haul operations over 4,000 km each make up 14%, while flights of 500 to 1,500 km account for the remaining 10%.

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Centrum Air, Uzbekistan's largest private airline, has launched its official mobile application, now available on the App Store and Google Play. At launch, passengers can use the app to buy tickets for Centrum Air flights and manage their existing bookings.

The airline said the app is part of its broader strategy to develop digital sales channels and make its services more accessible to passengers. Around the same time, the carrier introduced Apple Pay, Google Pay, and corporate card payment options on its official website.

The digital push is running alongside an expansion of Centrum Air's route network. From 13 June, the airline will operate weekly flights from Tashkent to Kostanay, Kazakhstan, followed by Krasnodar from 17 June. The latter will be the 13th Russian destination in the carrier's network.

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The new passenger terminal at Namangan International Airport (NMA), one of Uzbekistan's main aviation hubs, is due to open by the end of 2026, with a new cargo complex to be commissioned in 2027. The updated timeline was disclosed on 23 June during President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's official visit to the Namangan region. NMA serves the Fergana Valley – Uzbekistan's most densely populated area, home to nearly 12 million people, or almost a third of the country's population.

The airport's expansion forms part of Uzbekistan's broader transport infrastructure modernisation programme. According to the presidential press service, the project has attracted $175 million in investment and is being carried out under a public-private partnership framework established by a presidential decree of 29 March 2021 on developing national airport management.

The private partner is Namangan Air Solution, set up by UAE-based ME CA Overseas Investments DMCC. The Namangan regional administration engaged the investor in September 2024. No public tender was held, as the project is being implemented under a restricted Cabinet of Ministers resolution dated 2 October 2023.

The new three-storey terminal, spanning 22,600 square metres, is designed to meet international standards. It will handle more than 1,200 passengers per hour and up to 3 million a year, increasing the airport's overall capacity by 2.5 to 3 times.

The cargo terminal, slated to begin operations in late 2027, will offer a daily handling capacity of up to 50 tonnes. Its launch is intended to create a unified logistics network across the Fergana Valley, integrating operations with the neighbouring regional airports of Andijan and Fergana. The wider upgrade also includes a modern inflight catering facility, a refuelling complex, and supporting installations.

In the first quarter of 2026, NMA handled more than 210,000 passengers, ranking as Uzbekistan's fourth-busiest airport by traffic. Originally opened in 1971, it has held international status since 2013 and is currently served by nine airlines operating scheduled flights.

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Two Middle Eastern network carriers, Oman Air and Royal Jordanian, began scheduled direct service to Tashkent in early July, marking their first regular flights to Uzbekistan.

On July 4, Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, operated its inaugural flight on the Muscat (MCT)–Tashkent (TAS) route. The service runs three times a week with Boeing 737 aircraft. The airline connects Uzbekistan to its network of 49 destinations and to the oneworld alliance, of which it is a member.

Three days earlier, on July 1, Jordan's flag carrier, Royal Jordanian, launched a twice-weekly service between Amman (AMM) and Tashkent. The route is operated with a mix of Embraer 195-E2 regional jets and Airbus A320neo aircraft. Royal Jordanian, also a oneworld member, serves more than 40 destinations across Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America.

The carrier said early demand had prompted plans to add frequencies. "Demand for the new route has already exceeded expectations," said Karim Makhlouf, Chief Commercial Officer of Royal Jordanian, adding that the airline intends to increase service to four flights a week.

The two launches expand Uzbekistan's international route network and add competition on links between Central Asia and the Middle East. Uzbekistan Airports, which operates the country's airports, said the new services would broaden inbound travel channels and improve connectivity toward the Middle East, Africa, and North America.

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