Air Samarkand to increase services to Istanbul, starting this Saturday

Air Samarkand is adding a third weekly scheduled return service from Samarkand to the Turkish capital of Istanbul, starting on Saturday, 14th September.

The new weekly Saturday service will regularly use an Airbus A321 aircraft, adding to existing scheduled return services operating every Monday and Thursday from Samarkand International Airport (SKD) to Istanbul International Airport (IST). These are operated with the airline’s Airbus A321neo aircraft on the scheduled 5 hour flight.

Air Samarkand’s Airbus A321 provides 12 Business Class and 182 Economy Class seats.

Zafar Butaev, CEO of Air Samarkand, says: “This third weekly rotation on the Samarkand-Istanbul service will deliver increased flexibility to our customers and help to satisfy the growing demand from business and leisure travellers on this route, with further increases likely very soon.”

The expanded service to Istanbul marks the continued and steady expansion of Air Samarkand’s route network. In late July the carrier began flying to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to support religious pilgrims, increasing the frequency to five per week by September – with two services departing from Samarkand and one each week from the Uzbek cities of Termez, Fergana and Namangan. Air Samarkand also serves Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt and Nha Trang in Vietnam, using Airbus A321neo and A330-300 aircraft.

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Air Samarkand operates first flights to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Air Samarkand has successfully operated an inaugural passenger flight from Samarkand to Jeddah, marking a new milestone in the airline's operations by supporting religious pilgrims.

 

The carrier’s Airbus A321neo aircraft departed from Samarkand today, Tuesday 30 July, at 0:05am and arrived in Jeddah at 03:10am local time, carrying 188 passengers to a city renowned for being a gathering point for pilgrims travelling to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Some 119 passengers joined the return leg from Jeddah to Samarkand.

A further flight departing Samarkand at 15:00pm and arriving in Jeddah at 18:20pm local time took place and from here on,  the airline will operate two return flights to Jeddah every Tuesday.

Air Samarkand’s CEO, Zafar Butaev, commented: "We are proud to offer our passengers new opportunities for travel and spiritual growth, with new flights that strengthen the ties between Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia. There is growing interest worldwide in Islamic cultural tourism, so we are meeting that need with these new services, which will build on the unique historical legacy and ties between our two countries.”

Mr Mazen Johar, CEO of Jeddah Airports Company (JEDCO) and Mr Majid Khan, CEO of the Saudi Air Connectivity Program, said: “We are delighted to see Air Samarkand’s entry into our coastal city of Jeddah from Samarkand. New flights will further help to grow connectivity to our largest airport of KSA and grow inbound tourism from the Uzbek market to Saudi Arabia.”

Mr. Hazim Alhazmi President - Europe and America Markets for the Saudi Tourism Authority said: “With its central geographical location in Central Asia, Uzbekistan is a highly underserved market for Saudi Arabia. We welcome Air Samarkand’s entry to Jeddah and look forward to promoting Saudi Arabia’s untouched wonders to tourists from Uzbekistan.”

The inaugural flights to the King Abdulaziz International Airport represent a significant step in strengthening aviation links between Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia. The opening of this new route is a noteworthy event for Uzbek Muslims, providing as it does, a convenient way to visit the most revered holy sites in the Islamic world.

Air Samarkand gets ready for scheduled flights launch and appoints a new CEO

Air Samarkand is to commence its scheduled flight programme on Thursday, 21st March, operating on the Samarkand - Istanbul - Samarkand route with its Airbus A321neo aircraft. In the initial phase, return services will operate twice a week, departing on Mondays and Thursdays from Samarkand International Airport (SKD) to Istanbul International Airport (IST), with a scheduled flight time of about 5 hours.

Air Samarkand has also announced the appointment of Zafar Butaev as its new CEO, succeeding Anton Khodiayan, who will continue serving as an advisor to the airline while reverting to his position as Director General of the airport management company Air Marakanda.  Zafar Butaev is an Uzbekistani entrepreneur who has spent more than 15 years working in the tourism, hospitality and service sectors, creating two companies that together now employ more than 500 people. Currently, he is also CEO of Silk Road Samarkand, the first multi-functional international tourism centre in Asia. Mr Butaev is a business degree graduate of Tashkent State Economic University and is fluent in four languages.

Istanbul is one of the most sought-after destinations from Samarkand, connecting the largest city in Turkey with Uzbekistan through centuries-old cultural, business and tourism ties. Istanbul airport also offers extensive onward travel opportunities to cities worldwide, and Air Samarkand plans to add further flight options on the city pairing in the near future.

Departures from Samarkand are scheduled for 8 am, arriving in Istanbul at 11.10 am, with return services departing from Istanbul at 12:30 pm and arriving back in Samarkand at 7:00 pm (all are local times).

The inaugural scheduled service marks a significant milestone for any airline, and Air Samarkand will offer passengers a world-class standard of comfort and service on the direct flights. There is also significant demand for tourism, cultural and business customers on this route and Air Samarkand looks forward to developing close commercial ties in Turkey as it establishes this new service.

Its modern Airbus A321 is widely used by leading airlines globally and has a proven record for safety, reliability and exceptional passenger comfort. Air Samarkand will operate the latest 'neo' variant of the A321, which is equipped with the new generation CFM International LEAP-1A engines that ensure low noise levels during the flight. The aircraft accommodates 221 passengers in a full economy-class cabin.

Air Samarkand will be offering customers an unprecedented baggage allowance of two checked bags weighing up to 23kg each, plus 8kg of carry-on cabin baggage.

Tickets for flights to Istanbul are available for purchase at easybooking.uz, as well as at travel agencies connected to the Easy Booking system, and at biletbank.com. Further sales will soon open on the airline's own airsamarkand.com website, as well as on other popular online ticket platforms and aggregators.

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Air Samarkand Receives Air Operator Certificate (AOC)

Carrier readies services from the country's second city

Air Samarkand has moved nearer to the launch of charter flights and scheduled services after receiving its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Uzbekistan Ministry of Transport's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The announcement confirms the airline's compliance with the requirements of the country's aviation legislation and with international standards and requirements for flight safety under the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation. It follows a thorough audit of the airline's technical documentation, equipment and aircraft systems, preparation for flights, as well as the qualifications of flight and ground personnel by inspectors of the Uzbekistan Ministry of Transport.

Anton Khojayan, CEO of Air Samarkand, said:  "We thank the Ministry for Transport and the UzAviation Agency for their thorough assessment of our preparation for flights. Air Samarkand is now a further step nearer to the commencement of services from this incredible, historic city of Samarkand. Everything is now ready for this."

The airline has also officially received its own 'UZS' code from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), as well as the radio call sign 'Samarkand'.

Air Samarkand gets ready for launch with the delivery of second aircraft.

 Airbus A321 arrives for Air Samarkand

Air Samarkand continued its preparations for the launch of new services with the delivery on Saturday 11th November of a second aircraft, an Airbus A321.   

The Uzbekistan-based carrier welcomed the new arrival at Samarkand International Airport, a week after receiving its first A330-300 long-haul wide-body aircraft. By the end of 2023, the airline expects to receive and have up to five aircraft.   

The Airbus A321 is one of the most popular narrow-bodied airliners for short and medium-haul routes and is designed to carry 182 passengers in Economy Class and 12 in Business Class on routes with a range of up to 6,000 km. Air Samarkand will offer an Economy Class seat pitch of at least 31 inches (78.7 cm), providing comfort for even the tallest of passengers.   

The A321 aircraft, like others in the Air Samarkand fleet, is equipped with an in-flight entertainment system with built-in seat-back screens.   

A full-service carrier, Air Samarkand will provide hot meals on all flights, with pillows, blankets and other amenities provided to its customers.   

Air Samarkand will provide those living in one of the oldest cities in Asia and its neighbouring regions with the opportunity to travel direct to popular destinations – beginning with services to cities in Turkey, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and China. There will be further expansion into Europe over the next 12 months.   

Air Samarkand will support the further development of the Samarkand region, which is a rapidly emerging tourist and business destination for visitors from all over the world. It forms an essential part of new infrastructure and amenities being developed in the ‘New Uzbekistan’, including the multi-faceted Silk Road Samarkand tourist centre – the first international tourism resort in Central Asia including four and five-star hotels. Neutral 

 

 

A new airline is to launch direct services from Uzbekistan's second-largest city of Samarkand

A new airline is to launch direct services from Uzbekistan's second-largest city of Samarkand, as part of a major tourism and commercial drive for the historic region.

Air Samarkand will operate scheduled and charter flights from Samarkand to a growing number of destinations before the end of 2023 – beginning with services to cities in Turkey, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and China.

Air Samarkand plans further expansion into Europe over the next 12 months as it grows its fleet of Airbus A330 and A320 aircraft. The full-service carrier expects to have five aircraft in operation before the end of 2023.

Bakhtiyor Fazylov, a Uzbek business leader and founder of Air Samarkand, says: "The launch of this new airline is a significant event for the future development of Uzbekistan as a tourism, cultural and business centre. We are delighted to welcome Air Samarkand's first aircraft, which will soon operate competitive direct flights with a safe and quality service to the most popular international destinations."

Located in eastern Uzbekistan, Samarkand is one of the oldest cities in Asia, with its origins said to date back to the seventh or eighth millennium BC. A prosperous centre of the silk trade and situated on the famed Silk Road, it is in the heart of the country's ancient and medieval tourist attractions that exist in Samarkand and the surrounding Bukhara, Khiva, Shakhrisabz, and Zaamin National Park regions.