Uzbekistan Airports summed up its results for January–September 2026. Uzbekistan's airports handled 12,662,922 passengers, 13% more than in the same period of 2025. They operated 102,836 flights, 10% more. Cargo and mail processed totalled 84.8 thousand tonnes, up 27%.
International and domestic flights
International routes handled 10,361,150 passengers (+13%) on 71,625 flights (+8%). Domestic routes handled 2,301,772 passengers (+15%) on 31,211 flights (+17%). The company notes that passenger traffic grew faster than the number of flights.
Tashkent
Tashkent airport handled 8,489,320 passengers (+16%) and 62,482 flights (+7%). By our calculation, the capital accounts for about two thirds of the country's passenger traffic. Tashkent processed 78,867.9 tonnes of cargo, about 93% of the national total.
Regions: where growth is
Among regional airports, Samarkand handled the most passengers (1.11 million), followed by Urgench (724.4 thousand), Fergana (511 thousand) and Namangan (497.6 thousand). Andijan grew fastest: 161.4 thousand passengers, 8.7 times more than a year earlier. The company attributes this to a low base: the airport resumed operations after reconstruction of its airfield complex on 20 March 2025 and was not fully operating in the comparable period. In Termez traffic rose 48% thanks to Umrah traffic and the start of Flyadeal flights; cheaper pilgrimage tours also attracted passengers from neighbouring countries. Urgench grew 18% and Nukus 17%, with both airports gaining new international flights.
Regions: where decline is
In Namangan passenger traffic fell 16%, in Karshi 22%. The company links this to changes in the route network and demand and to airlines adjusting schedules in light of the geopolitical situation. In Navoi passenger traffic fell 22%, but more cargo was handled: the airport is strengthening its cargo specialisation, and total flights rose 14%. In Bukhara passengers totalled 407.4 thousand, 1% fewer than a year earlier; a project for a new international airport in the region is under way. Fewer flights did not everywhere mean fewer passengers: Fergana handled 5% more passengers with 11% fewer flights, and Samarkand held last year's level with 2% fewer flights.
What changed since the half-year
For January–June, Uzbekistan Airports reported 8,153,470 passengers (+16%), 64,831 flights (+8%) and 51,546 tonnes of cargo (+33%). Comparing with the nine-month results shows that passenger growth slowed from 16% to 13% and cargo growth from 33% to 27%, while flights grew faster (from +8% to +10%). The difference between nine months and the half-year gives, by our calculation, about 4.51 million passengers and about 38 thousand flights in July–September. In Samarkand, growth of +7% in the half-year became "level with last year" over nine months, in Bukhara +5% became −1%, in Namangan a decline of −11% deepened to −16%, and in Karshi it stayed at −22%.
What has not been announced
Passenger breakdown by airline, absolute figures for Termez, Nukus, Karshi and Navoi, Navoi cargo volume, load data and the structure of international flights by airport, as well as 2025 base values, have not been published. It is not stated which schedule changes affected Namangan and Karshi.
Our assessment: the data show two speeds in the market. Tashkent and several regional airports are growing on new international flights, while Namangan, Karshi, Navoi and Bukhara are in the red or near zero. At the same time overall growth is slowing: Tashkent still makes the main contribution, while the regional market depends heavily on individual carriers' decisions. For topics we have covered this is important background: Pegasus's new flights to Bukhara and Andijan from December and to Termez from March go into airports with very different dynamics, and talks on Karshi and Nukus concern points where one airport is losing passengers and the other is growing. This is flycentralasia's conclusion, not a statement by Uzbekistan Airports.
What businesses can do. Airlines considering Uzbekistan's regions should look at individual airports' dynamics, not the national average: growth in Termez and Urgench and decline in Karshi and Namangan have different causes. Tour operators should consider Samarkand, Urgench and Fergana as the regional airports with the largest absolute volumes. Cargo operators and forwarders should note that Tashkent accounts for about 93% of processed cargo, while Navoi is developing as a separate cargo hub. Airport contractors and investors should take into account that part of the growth, for example in Andijan, is explained by a low base after reconstruction.