Samarkand International Airport (SKD) has reported continued growth during the autumn-winter period (AWP) season, with more than 491,000 passengers (+55%) using the airport between 29 October 2023 and 30 March 2024. And in the first three months of 2024, 294,000 passengers have used the ultra-modern airport terminal, a 39% increase on the same period of 2023.
Passenger numbers at SKD have previously more than doubled in each of the past two years, following the opening of the airport’s state-of-the-art terminal facility at the beginning of 2022. Passenger volumes topped one million for the first time at the end of 2023.
Airport management company Air Marakanda reported a big increase in the number of carriers using SKD for the first time during the 2023/24 AWP season – namely Red Wings, SunExpress, Humo Air, Ural Airlines, Qazaq Air and Centrum Air. New routes now connect Samarkand with Izmir, Jeddah, Kazan, Tashkent, Turkestan and Yekaterinburg.
SKD also welcomed the launch of Air Samarkand, the first carrier to base itself at the airport. After beginning with a charter flight programme, Air Samarkand commenced scheduled services to Istanbul on 21st March, and is soon expected to launch to other new destinations.
The airport has also seen low-cost carrier Pobeda increase flight frequency to Moscow from 4 to 9 times a week, while Uzbekistan Airways has increased its Moscow services from 4 to 5 times a week, and to St. Petersburg to 3 times weekly. Utair introduced twice weekly services to Saint Petersburg, Qanot Sharq Airlines doubled flight frequency to Jeddah to four rotations a week, and the regional carrier Silk Avia increased flights to Tashkent to a weekly service.