Every new aircraft in the region comes with engines that will need repair in a few years. Central Asia's fleet is growing, and the question of where and how to maintain those engines is becoming one of operators' most practical.
On 18 November 2026 Tashkent hosts Aero Engines Central Asia: Uzbekistan, a conference and exhibition on maintenance of engines, auxiliary power units (APUs) and powerplants. The organisers are mark comm and ato comm. The event takes place the day after the tenth Central Asia Aviation Summit (17 November), so delegates have two days in a row in one city. The announcement names only the city as the venue.
Why the topic has become regional
The organisers state that the Western-built fleet in Central Asia is growing, including military fleets, and that the region will not soon have its own engine repair capacity. This is the organisers' claim and we have not verified it independently. If it holds, operators will keep sending engines for repair outside the region. Logistics, turnaround times and spare engines then stay in the airline's own costs and schedules.
Fleet growth is visible in our coverage.
- Air Astana, according to materials of 23–27 October, had 13 aircraft based in Astana in 2024 and 16 in summer 2026, with 22 expected in 2027. That is a target, not a completed deployment. In 2027 the company is due to take three Boeing 787-9s, the first of which is in testing.
- Kyrgyzstan, according to the head of the civil aviation agency, is in talks on ten Airbus aircraft and expects two A321s by the end of 2027.
- The BCG consultants whose interview we covered on 24 October believe that as the Uzbek national carrier's fleet grows there may be a chance to build a competitive MRO hub serving other airlines too. This is the consultants' view, not an adopted programme.
Five questions to bring to the conference
- Where are your fleet's engines repaired today, and how long is an engine out of service?
- Does the region need its own engine and APU repair capacity, and who could build it?
- How can spare engines and logistics be arranged so that aircraft downtime does not depend on a queue at a distant shop?
- What changes as the fleet grows: which engine types will see the main demand, and when?
- What conditions do manufacturers and MRO companies need to work with regional operators on the ground?
What the programme announces
Topics: engine, APU and powerplant MRO; transfer of Western experience and knowledge to the region's operators; the need for maintenance capacity. The audience, according to the organisers: airlines and operators in the region, airports, military operators, MRO organisations and manufacturers. The site shows the logos of CFM, Rolls-Royce and Turkish Airlines; the organisers do not specify their roles. Rolls-Royce is also on the speaker list of CAAS the day before.
What delegates get
According to the organisers: the full conference programme, an exhibition showcase, a meeting service for negotiations, coffee breaks, lunch and an evening reception. Separate terms are set for airlines and airports.
Who benefits and how
- Airlines and operators: compare options for engine and APU repair, learn turnaround times and logistics, and arrange meetings with suppliers.
- Manufacturers and MRO providers: hear regional operators' needs first-hand and see whether the market is ready for local solutions.
- Lessors: see how demand for maintenance affects terms on the aircraft they deliver to the region.
- Airports and military operators: understand what capacity may appear nearby and what it takes to launch it.
How to prepare in advance
- Identify the engines and APUs in your fleet that need a solution, and what exactly is wrong today: price, turnaround time or logistics.
- Request the programme and meetings from the organisers in advance.
- Prepare one concrete question for a supplier: turnaround time, replacement engine, warranty.
What to clarify with the organisers
The venue name, the speaker list and the session schedule. The site has a form for requesting the programme.
Our assessment: fleet growth makes engine repair no longer a technical but a strategic question for the region. While repair leaves the region, operators have no control over turnaround times and costs, and the region cannot build up competencies. Two days in Tashkent, CAAS and Aero Engines back to back, offer a rare chance to see the whole chain: from the decision to buy an aircraft to the question of where its engine will be repaired. If you operate or supply equipment in the region, arrive with a concrete question: an engine, a deadline, a supplier. This is flycentralasia's conclusion, not the organisers' assessment.
Details and registration are on the organisers' site: enginesuz.atocomm.eu.