Samarkand to Urumqi flights to start in October with China Southern Airlines

The Uzbekistan airport management company Air Marakanda, has announced the opening of a new flight between Samarkand International Airport and Urumqi which will be operated by China Southern Airlines.   

The route will start on 16th October with the outgoing flight leaving on Mondays at 1:30 am and the return flight from Urumqi International Airport is scheduled for 23:20pm on Sundays. All flights will be operated on modern Boeing 737-800 aircraft in a two–class layout of business class and economy.  

Dmitry Martynenko, Commercial Director for Air Marakanda, said:  “This announcement marks a new step in the growing relationship between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Uzbekistan. This new gateway will further promote strong interconnectivity and collaboration between our two nations and provide a new economic pathway for capital to flow for both business and tourism respectively.” 

Urumqi is one of the most landlocked major cities in the world. Located on the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains, historically the region has long had strong business ties with Central Asia, as among the core traffic are business travellers and independent traders.

China is one of the fastest-growing markets in the world, and the opening of direct flights will help strengthen trade and economic ties between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of Uzbekistan. The route network of Urumqi Airport consists of 69 domestic destinations, which will allow passengers to use Urumqi Airport as a hub to visit the largest business, industrial and tourist cities of China.