Uzbek airline Qanot Sharq is starting flights on the Madinah–Andijan–Madinah route. Flight QNT5564 arrives in Andijan at 03:20 on 11 November, and the return flight QNT5563 departs at 06:20. Flights operate on the Airbus A330-200. Times are local.
Andijan airport has announced its schedule for 10 November. On that day the airport operates from 11:20. Uzbekistan Airways flight HY097/098 from Tashkent on an Airbus A320 arrives at 13:20 and departs at 14:10. Silkavia flight UH601/602 from Tashkent on an ATR-72 arrives at 15:00 and departs at 15:40. S7 Airlines flight S75575/5576 from Novosibirsk on an Airbus A321 arrives at 15:20 and departs at 16:40.
Andijan remains one of the Fergana Valley airports with regular flights to Russia, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia. FlyOne Asia and Fly Khiva previously flew from Andijan to Madinah; Qanot Sharq adds a third carrier on the route.
For residents of the Fergana Valley, these are additional direct flights to Saudi Arabia, mainly for pilgrimage and religious traffic. For Andijan airport, it is a chance to increase the share of international flights on a wide-body aircraft.
Our assessment: Qanot Sharq's entry with an A330-200 on Madinah–Andijan increases competition on the pilgrimage route from the Fergana Valley. This is the view of flycentralasia.