US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on 19 October 2026 in Samarkand, at the Registan, that talks are underway on a possible direct flight from Miami to Uzbekistan. He said he had asked about direct flights from the United States and learned that such talks are taking place. Rubio added that he was surprised by the large flow of tourists to Uzbekistan. This follows the US State Department's transcript.
Rubio also noted that a direct flight from the US to Uzbekistan already exists. He did not name the city. Uzbekistan Airways operates a direct Tashkent–New York (JFK) flight.
The statement concerns talks, not an announced flight. The airline, timing, frequency, aircraft type and the airport in Uzbekistan have not been named. It is not stated who is conducting the talks or at what level. There has been no comment yet from Uzbekistan Airways, Uzbekistan's Ministry of Transport or Miami airport.
Our assessment: for tour operators and airports this is a sign of US interest in direct connections with Uzbekistan, but without a carrier and timing it is too early to base sales or infrastructure plans on it. It is worth waiting for confirmation from an airline or the authorities. This is flycentralasia's conclusion, not a statement by the State Department or Uzbekistan.