UAE cargo airline SolitAir has added Kyrgyzstan to its network, operating its first charter cargo service between Dubai World Central and Manas International Airport, near Bishkek.
Kyrgyzstan is SolitAir's second destination in Central Asia, added after the launch of flights to Almaty and Astana in Kazakhstan. The airline said Kyrgyzstan sits at a strategic crossroads of the historic Silk Road corridor, and Manas International Airport serves as a key logistics gateway for landlocked Central Asia.
"As trade between the Gulf and Central Asian markets continues to grow, the new charter service gives freight forwarders and shippers a direct, reliable air link between the two regions — reinforcing SolitAir's strategy of building capacity ahead of demand along corridors that larger carriers have been slower to serve," the airline said.
SolitAir founder and chief executive Hamdi Osman commented: "Bishkek is exactly the kind of route we set out to fly — a market that matters commercially but has long been underserved by direct air cargo capacity. Extending into Kyrgyzstan gives our customers a new gateway into Central Asia, and it's another proof point that our network grows where the trade lanes need us, not where it's easiest to fly. Our plan to develop a network of more than 50 cities by 2027 remains on course."
Prior to the addition of Manas International, SolitAir added Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport (Otopeni) in Romania to its network, marking its second destination in Europe. SolitAir now serves 58 destinations across 36 countries and three continents — Asia, Africa and Europe. The airline operates a fleet of seven Boeing 737-800 converted freighters, each with 20-tonne cargo capacity, from its cargo hub at Dubai World Central, and is targeting a 20-aircraft fleet by the end of 2027.