JSC Uzbekistan Airways,[2] operating as Uzbekistan Airways (Uzbek: Oʻzbekiston Havo Yoʻllari, Ўзбекистон Ҳаво Йўллари; Russian: Узбекские Авиалинии), is the flag carrier of Uzbekistan,[3] headquartered in Tashkent.[4] From its hub at Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport, the airline serves a number of domestic destinations; the company also flies international services to Asia, Europe and North America.
History
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Uzbek President Islam Karimov in 1992 authorised the creation of Uzbekistan Airways. The airline was established on 28 January 1992,[5] and took over the operations of the Uzbekistan division of Aeroflot on 31 May 1992.[6] In 1993, Uzbekistan Airways acquired its first two Airbus A310-300s.[7] The two A310s were counted as part of the fleet at March 1995[update], along with Russian-built aircraft (25 Antonov An-24/26s, one Ilyushin Il-62, 13 Ilyushin Il-76s, one Ilyushin Il-86, 23 Tupolev Tu-154 and three Yakovlev Yak-40s). By this time, the airline was still the sole operator in the country.[8] Late in 1995, the carrier ordered its first Boeing aircraft: two Boeing 767-300ERs and a single Boeing 757.[9]
Uzbekistan Airways was the launch customer for the Ilyushin Il-114; it took delivery of the first, locally assembled aircraft, in July 1998.[10][11] In June 1998, the airline took delivery of the last-built Airbus A310 ever (msn. 706, reg. UK-31003).[12] Two more Boeing 757-200s were directly ordered from Boeing in April 1999.[13] Late in 1999, the company took ownership of the first of these two 184-seater Boeing 757-200.[14]
By April 2000 (2000-04), the airline had 16,296 employees. At this time, the fleet comprised three Airbus A310-300s, three Antonov An-12s, one Antonov An-24, 18 Antonov An-24Bs, three Antonov An-24RVs, three Boeing 757-200s, two Boeing 767-300ERs, three Avro RJ85s, four Ilyushin Il-114s, two Ilyushin Il-62s, six Ilyushin Il-62Ms, ten Ilyushin Il-76Ts, nine Ilyushin Il-86s, 15 Tupolev Tu-154Bs, two Tupolev Tu-154Ms and 19 Yakovlev Yak-40s. Destinations served at the time included Almaty, Amsterdam, Andizhan, Ashgabat, Athens, Baku, Bangkok, Beijing, Bishkek, Bukhara, Chelyabinsk, Delhi, Dhaka, Ekaterinburg, Fergana, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Jeddah, Karshi, Kazan, Khabarovsk, Kuala Lumpur, London, Mineralnye Vody, Moscow, Namangan, New York, Novosibirsk, Nukus, Omsk, Paris, Riyadh, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Samarkand, Seoul, Sharjah, Simferopol, St. Petersburg, Tashkent, Tel Aviv, Termez, Tyumen, Ufa and Urgench.[5]
Two more Boeing 767-300ERs, equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW4000 powerplants, were ordered in 2001 and scheduled for delivery in 2002.[15]
Uzbekistan Airways carried 2.625 million passengers in 2014, a 1.9% decrease year-on-year (YOY), whereas 4.6% more cargo was handled YOY.[16]
Since its formation, Uzbekistan Airways has focused its passenger service on Western Europe and other international locations. Most international flights operate from Tashkent, although international services to other Uzbek cities exist.[17] The carrier is not part of any partnership or airline alliance.
An Ilyushin Il-114 on approach to Tashkent Airport. Uzbekistan Airways was the launch customer of the type.[10]An Airbus A310-300 arriving in Rome in 2010. This type of aircraft was first acquired by the airline in 1993.[7] Uzbekistan Airways retired the type from active service in July 2013 (2013-07).[43]
In mid-2007, the carrier ordered six Airbus A320s; by that time the fleet was 55 strong, comprising ten different aircraft models; the Russian-built Yakovlev Yak-40 was among them.[44] Also that year, the airline ordered two Boeing 787-8s.[45][46]
In late 2008, the company ordered four Boeing 767-300ERs in a US$597 million deal,[47][48] and the A320 order was boosted to ten aircraft.[49][50] The airline took delivery of its first A320 in July 2010 (2010-07); the type started operations servicing the Tashkent–Baku route.[28] The first of four Boeing 767-300ERs ordered in 2008 was delivered in February 2012 (2012-02), coinciding with the carrier's 20th anniversary.[51] Also in 2012, the airline retired the An-24 from active service.[52] It was announced in May 2013 (2013-05) that the Islamic Development Bank signed a deal for US$270 million with the Government of Uzbekistan that will be partly (US$170 million) used to finance the acquisition of two Boeing aircraft, yet the type involved was not disclosed.[53] In July 2013 (2013-07), the Airbus A310 was retired from active service.[43]
The carrier ordered the Boeing 767-300ER for the first time in 1995.[9] It decided to convert two of the oldest Boeing 767-300ERs into freighters subsequently. Conversion of the first aircraft was completed in December 2014 (2014-12).[54][55] In late December 2014 (2014-12), the second converted aircraft arrived in Tashkent.[56]
Uzbekistan Airways received its first Boeing 787-8 in late August 2016.[57] The Business Class on the 787 features the first fully flat seats of the carrier.[58]
In 2023, the carrier ordered two Let 410UVPs with an option for further two of these aircraft; the first of them were delivered in June 2023.[59][60]
Retired fleet
Uzbekistan Airways previously operated the following aircraft:
According to the Aviation Safety Network, as of January 2013[update] the airline experienced eight accidents and incidents throughout its history, totalling 54 reported fatalities;[61] only those involving fatalities and hull-losses are listed below.
The aircraft was operating a domestic scheduled Tashkent–Turtkul passenger service when struck power lines, gear-up, after a second go-around at Turtkul Airport. It belly landed, and slid for some 130 m (430 ft), before coming to rest close to an embankment.
The airplane was completing a domestic scheduled Termez–Tashkent passenger service as Flight 1154 when it landed more than 250 m (820 ft) past the runway threshold at Tashkent Airport. The aircraft continued its run, the right wing struck a concrete building, moments later the left wing was lost, and hit a concrete wall that caused the airframe to break up, eventually coming to rest into a ditch and catching fire.
^"Uzbekistan Airways – About Us". Uzbekistan Airways. Archived from the original on 7 July 2005. Retrieved 27 September 2011. Address: 41 A. Temur street, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 100060
^Young, Kathryn M. (8 June 2015). "Airline Routes-8 June 2015". Air Transport World. Archived from the original on 9 June 2015. AirBaltic has extended its codeshare agreement with Uzbekistan Airways. Fliers on New York-Riga will fly on Uzbekistan Airways Boeing 767 service 2X-weekly; service from Riga and any Baltic Sea airport will be flown on airBaltic.
^ ab"Aircraft News". Air Transport World. 19 July 2010. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012. Uzbekistan Airways received its first A320, configured in a two-class cabin layout seating 150 passengers, 12 in business and 138 in economy. It is the first of 10 A320s ordered directly from Airbus as part of the carrier's strategic fleet modernization program. The A320 will make its first commercial flight today from Tashkent to Baku.
^Karp, Aaron (29 June 2007). "Airbus signs China A320 FAL agreement". Air Transport World. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2011. Separately, Uzbekistan Airways ordered six A320s as part of its fleet rationalization. It operates a mixed fleet of 55 aircraft spread over 10 different types from the 767-300ER to the Yak-40 but is rebuilding its fleet around 787s and A320s.
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