Central Asian aviation news

AIFC forecasts Kyrgyzstan's commercial aircraft fleet will grow from 20 to 35 aircraft by 2030 (+75%), according to its first regional aviation finance report.

AIFC has published its first regional aviation finance report and backed Kazakh cargo carrier Jupiter Jet's first aircraft leasing transaction with a US lessor — a bid to position itself as the region's aviation finance center.

Uzbek cargo carrier Fly Khiva Group has been authorized by Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department to accept cargo at HKIA Dongguan Logistics Park — another step in a partnership that began in 2024.

Turkmenistan Airlines has added three temporary Ashgabat–Kazan flights — on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays — on top of its regular schedule, ahead of a move to daily service (except Mondays) from October 25.

SunExpress is launching flights to Astana from Izmir, while Air Astana and FlyDubai sharply increase Dubai frequencies — Almaty–Dubai growing from 4 to 12 weekly flights and Astana–Dubai from 3 to 10.

Uzbek cargo carrier Stratos has announced an interline agreement with Uzbekistan Airways, expanding its network and opening new cargo routing options across Central Asia and international markets.

A team of US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) auditors has arrived in Kazakhstan to assess the country's aviation safety oversight under the IASA program — a required step before direct US flights, which Air Astana plans to launch in 2027.

The Astana International Financial Centre forecasts Tajikistan's commercial fleet will grow from 10 to 25 aircraft by 2030 — a 150% increase, the highest relative growth rate among the five Central Asian countries covered.

Air Astana named Best Airline in Central Asia & CIS for the 15th consecutive year at the 2026 Skytrax awards; FlyArystan takes Best Low-Cost Airline in the region for the fourth year running.

An AIFC report forecasts Turkmenistan's fleet growing from 27 to 43 aircraft by 2030 (+59.3%) — though the official Turkmenistan Airlines website lists a current fleet of 25, pointing to differing counting methodologies.

During Mirziyoyev's state visit to Seoul, cooperation deepened with two separate Korean partners on the new Tashkent airport project: Yooshin Engineering Corporation, drawing on its Incheon construction expertise, and Incheon International Airport Corporation, which will open a Tashkent office as an airport management competence center.

An AIFC report forecasts the region's combined fleet growing from 383 to 684 aircraft by 2030 (+78.6%) — but behind that figure lies an open question: what financing instruments will actually close a gap of that size.

Uzbekistan Airports held talks with Jiangxi International Cargo Airlines and Beijing Capital Airlines on launching Tashkent–Nanjing cargo flights from 12 October — three times weekly on Airbus A330 freighters. These remain preliminary plans, not a confirmed launch.

Turkish carrier SunExpress plans to launch twice-weekly Izmir–Astana flights on Boeing 737 aircraft — Astana becomes the carrier's second Kazakh destination after Almaty, whose frequency is also increasing from 25 October.

Navoi International Airport has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Hong Kong's HKIA Consultancy and Harvest Epoch Strategic Investment to transfer airport management expertise — signed at the 11th Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong.

Air Astana plans to resume Almaty–Dubai flights from 1 October and Astana–Dubai from 2 October, gradually ramping up frequency — the second resumption cycle after the route was suspended again in July 2026.

Dubai-based cargo carrier SolitAir has added Tashkent and Navoiy international airports to its network — Uzbekistan becomes the third Central Asian country in the carrier's route map, with a focus on perishables.

Kazakh low-cost carrier FlyArystan has completed its initial IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and been added to the international IOSA operator registry — its first independent audit as a standalone carrier.

KazMunayGas subsidiary KazMunayGas-Aero will invest 10 billion tenge in an aviation fuel and lubricant storage facility in the Sauran district of Turkestan Region, with total capacity of up to 8,000 cubic meters, construction starting Q1 2027.

S7 Airlines resumed direct air service between Moscow and Urgench on 15 September, part of the carrier's ongoing program to restore flights to cities across Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan Airways and flydubai have signed a strategic interline agreement linking the two carriers' route networks through Tashkent and Dubai — passengers gain access to more than 40 flydubai destinations, with connections back onto Uzbekistan Airways' network.

Kyrgyzstan's Civil Aviation Agency has drafted a presidential decree to lift the moratorium on registering new airlines, in place since November 2024 — the agency says the original goals of the temporary ban have been met.

Russian carrier Nordwind Airlines is launching direct flights between Kazan and Kulob starting 27 September, a new route connecting Tatarstan with southern Tajikistan.

Cargo carrier My Freighter (Centrum Air) has completed the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) — the global benchmark for airline safety and operational management, covering more than 900 standards.

At talks in Seoul, the presidents of Tajikistan and South Korea discussed tourism cooperation, including organizing direct air service between the two countries — part of Tajikistan's broader plan to open flights to Seoul, London, and Beijing.

During President Tokayev's state visit to Seoul, Kazakhstan and South Korea signed a trilateral memorandum on transferring UAS traffic management (UTM) technology — with Korea Airports Corporation and Kazakhstan's Alatau Advance Air Group named as implementing partners.

Following talks between presidents Mirziyoyev and Lee Jae-myung in Seoul, Uzbekistan and South Korea signed 13 agreements and memoranda, including a dedicated aviation document — alongside plans to train pilots, aviation managers, and logistics specialists for joint aviation projects.

An AIFC report forecasts Kazakhstan's aircraft fleet growing from 109 to 221 by 2030 (+102.8%) — the underlying market trend is already confirmed, though the 221 figure itself needs further verification against individual carriers' fleet plans.

At Astana Finance Days, AIFC and the Development Bank of Kazakhstan signed a memorandum on developing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), tied to ICAO's Finvest initiative.

At Astana Finance Days 2026, AIFC presented its first-of-its-kind analytical report on aviation finance in the region, supported the first leasing transaction of new cargo carrier Jupiter Jet, and signed a memorandum with the Development Bank of Kazakhstan on sustainable aviation fuel.

Centrum Air is launching direct Tashkent–Hyderabad flights — its second Indian destination after Delhi, reached less than a year after entering the Indian market.

Kyrgyzstan's Civil Aviation Agency has opened public consultation on an updated version of APKR-4, the rules governing aeronautical charts — the current 2016 version does not account for the three most recent ICAO amendment packages.

CIS Executive Committee Secretary General Sergei Lebedev and Interstate Aviation Committee Chairman Oleg Storchevoy signed a memorandum in Ashgabat, laying the groundwork for deeper integration and joint modernization of air transport across the CIS space.

flydubai is launching dedicated freighter operations — three Boeing 737-800Fs from October. For the region, this matters: flydubai is one of the most active carriers in Central Asia, and its new cargo fleet could reshape logistics between the Gulf and the region.

Emomali Rahmon opened the reconstructed Rasht district airport, following the June opening of Khovaling airport — both buildings renovated with funding from local entrepreneurs, as Tajikistan steadily rebuilds its regional aviation infrastructure.

Uzbekistan's airport operator and cargo carrier My Freighter have launched an e-commerce delivery route from China to Europe via Tashkent, using a Truck-to-Air model — seven cargo flights to Liège, Belgium have already been completed.

New Kazakh cargo carrier Jupiter Jet has unveiled its first aircraft — a Boeing 757-200 delivered from the US to Turkestan airport; the company wants to grow its fleet to 10 aircraft but faces age restrictions on cargo aircraft imports.

Somon Air has taken delivery of its second Boeing 737 MAX 8 from lessor DAE, completing a two-aircraft lease agreement — the new jets are earmarked in part for planned international routes from Dushanbe.

Air Astana CEO Ibrahim Canliel confirmed the airline's first Boeing 787 Dreamliners will arrive in Kazakhstan in December 2026 — the aircraft needed to launch a direct Astana–New York route under a government directive.

President Serdar Berdimuhamedov approved an initiative from Deputy Prime Minister Batyr Annayev to improve the operations of national carrier Türkmenhowaýollary, instructing officials to continue strengthening flight safety and regularity.

Kyrgyzstan's State Civil Aviation Agency has signed a contract with Germany's EMPIC GmbH to implement a digital flight safety oversight management system, as part of the World Bank-supported CARs-3 regional connectivity project.

Uzbekistan plans to sell 100% of state-owned Humo Air through public tender in 2026–2027, after the carrier reverted to state ownership following the termination of its contract with Swiss investor ValleyRoad Capital.

Ilkhom Makhkamov and Christian Leifeld discussed extending technical support for Airbus A320 and Boeing 787 fleets to 2035, engine services for LEAP-1A and CFM56-5B, and cooperation with Tashkent State Transport University.

Uzbekistan Airways is increasing frequency to the resort island of Phu Quoc to twice weekly from November — the destination airport has already served 5.4 million passengers in eight months and is preparing a new terminal.

The two sides have agreed to launch a direct Sanya–Bishkek–Sanya route for the 2026/2027 winter season — talks were held in Haikou, Hainan, following up on the Kyrgyz and Chinese presidents' agreement to deepen transport and tourism cooperation.

Air Astana Group delivered one of the most extensive summer seasons in its history: capacity to China grew 81%, Almaty–Tashkent frequency reached three daily flights for the first time, and several new routes launched.

Private Uzbek carrier Air Samarkand has lost all three of its passenger aircraft: one was returned to its lessor and transferred to Egypt's Nesma Airlines, a second is now operated by Centrum Air, and a third — an Airbus A330 — was scrapped in Istanbul in August.

Thai carrier SiamWings Airlines posted a greeting to Almaty on social media — the first official signal of interest in the Kazakh market, though the route, dates, and frequency have not been disclosed.

Pobeda CEO Dmitry Tyshchuk says the low-cost carrier, which already added Nukus, Termez, Fergana, and Osh in 2026, plans Andijan as its next Central Asian route.

Uzbekistan's Tourism Committee and Indonesia's minister for hajj and umrah affairs discussed resuming Tashkent–Jakarta flights and launching direct service from Indonesia to Samarkand and Bukhara for pilgrimage tourism.

Vietnam's Sun PhuQuoc Airways has officially named Kazakhstan among its international expansion targets and is taking delivery of new Airbus A330s specifically to serve these routes; travel agencies report the first Almaty flights could start as early as October.

Air Astana Group reported an on-time performance of 86% for the three summer months of 2026 — 12.5 percentage points higher year-on-year and, per EUROCONTROL data, 16% above the European carrier average.

ALATA (ALA Training Academy) at Almaty International Airport is launching three internationally accredited ACI certification courses covering passenger experience, safety management, and airport security.

Uzbekistan's Fly Khiva Cargo reports network growth on its Boeing 767-300BCF fleet: 452 flights and 6,600 tonnes of freight carried across five countries from the start of 2026 through 18 August.

Kazakhstan's low-cost carrier FlyArystan has joined Hahnair's network of more than 350 partner airlines, making its flights bookable by travel agents in 190+ markets through standard GDS channels.

From 15 September, China will apply stricter cross-checks between travelers' stated purpose and their documents; FlyArystan advises arriving at the airport at least three hours early.

Kyrgyz Airports chairman Manasbek Samidinov confirmed talks with Lufthansa and a second carrier over a Bishkek–Milan charter, but any launch is tied to the delivery of new Airbus aircraft.

SCAT Airlines will begin Kazakhstan's first direct connection to Singapore on 20 October, flying Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft with a technical stop in Sanya, China.

Tajikistan's Somon Air has scheduled a one-time Boeing 737 MAX 8 charter flight from Dushanbe to Seoul — the airline has no regular service to South Korea.

Tour operator Prestige Travel is launching Tashkent's first direct connection to Mauritius on Uzbekistan Airways aircraft — starting as a four-flight charter programme over the New Year period.

Uzbekistan is hosting two international air navigation forums back to back for the first time, with ICAO, CANSO, and EUROCONTROL participation; sources disagree on the exact dates.

Based on both countries' official plans, Uzbekistan's aircraft fleet could overtake Kazakhstan's by the end of 2026, with the gap potentially widening to 20 aircraft by 2030.

Chinese cargo airline China Central Longhao plans to begin operating four weekly Boeing 747-400F flights via Astana International Airport in September, the airport says — the second major Chinese freighter operator to add technical stops in Astana this year.

Peter Foster, former head of Air Astana, has stepped down early as an independent director of cargo carrier Alatau Air Cargo — just 2.5 months after his appointment. The company's acting general director has also been replaced.

Fly Khiva is negotiating the dry lease of an additional Boeing 737, while considering retaining wet-leased B737-800 capacity from Lithuania's GetJet Airlines. Deal details have not yet been disclosed.

FLYONE Asia's fleet has grown with a second passenger A321-271NX. Like the carrier's first aircraft, this one previously flew for US carrier Spirit Airlines and now carries Uzbek registration UK-32127.

Kazakhstan will host ICAO Aviation Security Week for the first time on 20–22 October, bringing aviation regulators, industry leaders and security experts to Astana to address emerging threats.

Kostanay region governor Kumar Aksakalov has announced plans to more than double the city's airport, to over 11,000 square meters. Talks are underway with Turkish carriers on a year-round Kostanay–Istanbul route.

My Freighter has officially announced the launch of regular freighter services from Shenzhen, extending its global cargo network through its Tashkent hub into Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and South Asia.

Russia's Nordwind Airlines will launch direct Kazan–Namangan flights from 5 September 2026, once weekly on an Airbus A321. It's part of the carrier's broader Tatarstan–Uzbekistan expansion in the third quarter of 2026.

Qatar Airways Cargo has strengthened its Almaty service by deploying a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, adding 73 tonnes of belly-hold cargo capacity each way weekly. Combined capacity on the route will exceed 370 tonnes per week.

UAE cargo airline SolitAir has operated its first charter cargo service between Dubai World Central and Manas International Airport, making Kyrgyzstan its second Central Asian destination after Almaty and Astana.

After taking delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX 8 in early August, Somon Air deployed the new aircraft across eight routes in its network — from Almaty and Delhi to Jeddah and Munich — according to its published August 2026 schedule.

The Fergana regional administration and a delegation from Afghan carrier Kam Air have discussed an initiative to establish a new international airline based in Fergana. The sides are reviewing infrastructure and service arrangements — no agreement has been signed yet.

Centrum Air has closed bookings on a one-off holiday-season Tashkent–Kittilä (Finland) service. The route was withdrawn before actual flight operations ever began.

Centrum Air will resume Tashkent–Mattala (Hambantota) flights in its winter 2026/27 schedule, twice weekly. It's the carrier's second Sri Lanka destination — the resort south coast, rather than the capital, Colombo.

FLYONE Asia's first branded Airbus A321neo is powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1100G (Geared Turbofan) engines, making the carrier Uzbekistan's first GTF operator. Other carriers in the country chose the more reliable CFM LEAP-1A instead.

Uzbekistan's cargo airline My Freighter has signed an interline agreement with Oman Air, extending its network through the carrier's Muscat hub. It's My Freighter's eighth such partnership over the past year.

Kazakhstan's largest private carrier, SCAT Airlines, has begun implementing Sabre Mosaic Network Planning, a demand-based route scheduling platform — extending a technology partnership with Sabre that began in 2021.

FlyArystan will launch direct Almaty–Urgench flights from 3 September 2026, twice weekly. Ahead of launch, the airline partnered with tour operator Arda Khiva, which has already built travel packages around the flight schedule.

FlyArystan will resume direct Aktau–Istanbul flights from 22 October 2026, twice weekly. Combined with the previously announced Yerevan launch, the carrier's international network from Aktau will grow to seven destinations.

FLYONE Asia has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321neo (A321-200NX) in its own branded livery, completing the visual rebrand of the carrier, which relaunched in July as the successor to bankrupt Asia Union Airlines.

FlyOne Asia plans to launch twice-weekly Tashkent–Delhi flights from 6 November, becoming the third Uzbek airline on the route after Uzbekistan Airways and Centrum Air. The carrier has not yet issued an official announcement.

Manas International Airport has completed a major reconstruction worth over $130 million. On 29 August, President Sadyr Japarov personally checked the facility's readiness to host delegations for the SCO summit and World Nomad Games.

Tashkent-based cargo airline My Freighter has opened General Sales Agent tenders across ten countries over the past three months. The move should be read against a stated goal of tripling the fleet by the end of 2026.

Namangan has completed a new Air Traffic Control Center with a dispatch tower. The project is part of a presidential decree modernizing Uzbekistan's air navigation system, backed by 250 billion soums a year in state funding.

IATA projects airlines will spend around $350 billion on fuel this year. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan carriers are renewing their fleets, but IATA says the next stage of fuel savings will come from data and benchmarking rather than aircraft alone.

FlyArystan will resume direct Aktau–Yerevan flights from 16 December 2026, operating twice weekly on an Airbus A320. The carrier previously flew the route in 2023 before suspending it.

On 29 August 2026, Somon Air operated its first direct flight between Dushanbe and Minsk, a day ahead of Tajikistan's 35th State Independence anniversary. Flights will operate weekly.

On 22 August, scheduled air service returned to Arkalyk after a three-decade gap. SCAT Airlines began subsidized flights connecting the city with Astana, Almaty and Kostanay.

On 26 August, Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia signed an air services agreement raising the permitted number of weekly flights between the two countries from 28 to 70. No specific airline or route launch date has been named.

From 27 August 2026, Russia's Nordwind Airlines begins direct scheduled flights on the Samarkand–Kazan route. Uzbekistan Airways already operates the route, so Nordwind's entry means more competition and capacity.

Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and Changi Airport Group CEO Yam Kum Weng discussed the Singaporean company's potential involvement in building Astana's second airport. No agreement was signed at the meeting.

A Tajik delegation held talks in Tehran on petroleum-product supplies, including aviation fuel. The driver is a domestic fuel shortage and export restrictions from Russia, the traditional supplier.

Uzbekistan's president reviewed the modernization of Urgench International Airport, which will receive $264 million in investment. Operated by South Korea's Incheon International Airport Corporation, the airport will be able to handle widebody Boeing 747 and Airbus A350 aircraft after the upgrade.

On 1 August 2026, Belgian cargo carrier Air Belgium operated its first flight into Ashgabat International Airport. The event reflects Turkmenistan's ambition to establish itself as a cargo transit hub between Asia and Europe.

On 10 August 2026, Karakol International Airport near Issyk-Kul operated its first technical flight after a runway reconstruction, receiving a mainline-class aircraft — an Airbus A320 — for the first time in its history.

Pavlodar Airport, idle since spring 2025, is preparing to resume operations after a runway reconstruction. Completion is expected in September 2026, after which regular flights to Astana and Almaty will resume.

Tajikistan's flag carrier Somon Air is scheduling a limited-time Dushanbe–Minsk service — one weekly flight from 29 August to 12 September 2026 on a Boeing 737-800. This is a targeted program, not a permanent route.

On 7 August 2026, Oman Air announced a five-route cargo network expansion on Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, including a twice-weekly Muscat–Tashkent service. The launch coincides with a 33% rise in cargo handled across Uzbekistan's airports in H1 2026.