Uzbekistan could overtake Kazakhstan in the size of its civil aircraft fleet and take the top spot in Central Asia as early as the end of 2026, according to both countries' updated official plans.
Per a special review published by Kazakhstan's government, the country's regular civil aviation fleet currently stands at 111 aircraft. Airlines are due to receive six more by the end of 2026, bringing the fleet to roughly 117. Kazakhstan then plans to add 11 aircraft in 2027, 10 in 2028, nine in 2029, and 13 in 2030 — reaching a total commercial fleet of 160 aircraft by decade's end.
That forecast is notably lower than previous targets: in 2025, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport had stated a goal of 216 aircraft by 2030 — the new figure is 56 aircraft, or 25.9%, lower.
Against this backdrop, Uzbekistan could pull ahead this year. In December 2025, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced plans to grow the fleet from 105 to 120 aircraft in 2026. That figure is enshrined in the updated "Uzbekistan-2030" strategy: 120 aircraft in 2026, 147 in 2027, 158 in 2028, 167 in 2029, and 180 by 2030.
If both plans hold, Uzbekistan would overtake Kazakhstan in fleet size (120 versus 117) by the end of 2026, with the gap potentially widening to 20 aircraft (180 versus 160) by 2030.
Both figures are stated government targets rather than guaranteed outcomes — Kazakhstan has already revised its own goal downward once.