The key facts

  • In the first nine months of 2026, Uzbekistan's airports served 12,662,922 passengers (+13%) and 102,836 flights (+10%).
  • Cargo turnover grew 27% to 84,800 tonnes, of which 78,867.9 tonnes went through Tashkent.
  • In Andijan, passenger traffic grew 8.7-fold from a low base, while declines of 16% and 22% were recorded in Namangan and Karshi.

Growth across all key indicators

Uzbekistan Airports has published its performance results for January–September 2026, the company's press service reports. Over nine months, the country's airports handled 102,836 flights — 10% more than a year earlier: 71,625 international flights (+8%) and 31,211 domestic flights (+17%). Total passenger traffic reached 12,662,922 passengers, up 13%. On international routes, 10,361,150 passengers were carried (+13%), and on domestic routes — 2,301,772 (+15%).

Tashkent is the leader, Andijan is the fastest-growing

The largest aviation hub remains the capital's airport: 8,489,320 passengers (+16%) and 62,482 flights (+7%). Among regional airports, the leaders are Samarkand (1.11 million passengers), Urgench (724,400), Fergana (511,000) and Namangan (497,600). The fastest growth was recorded in Andijan — passenger traffic grew 8.7-fold to 161,400 passengers. The company explained that this dynamic is largely due to a low base: the airport resumed operations after a large-scale reconstruction of its airfield complex and was not yet operating at full capacity in the comparable period last year.

Not everywhere is growing: declines in Namangan and Karshi

Some airports showed negative dynamics: passenger traffic fell by 16% in Namangan and by 22% in Karshi. According to Uzbekistan Airports representatives, the decline was already observed in the first half of the year and is linked to changes in the route network and demand, as well as schedule adjustments by airlines in light of the geopolitical situation. At the same time, fewer flights did not always mean lost passengers: Fergana served 5% more passengers despite an 11% reduction in flights, while Samarkand maintained last year's level with a 2% reduction in flights.

Cargo grew by more than a quarter

In the cargo segment, 84,800 tonnes of cargo and mail were handled over nine months — 27% more than in the same period of 2025. The bulk of it went through Tashkent airport — 78,867.9 tonnes. The company emphasized that, despite the geopolitical situation, reduced flight frequencies and the cancellation of individual flights, growth was maintained across all three key indicators — flights, passengers and cargo — with passenger traffic growing faster than the number of flights.