The key facts

  • The agreement was reached at bilateral talks in Tashkent within the framework of the 'China – Central Asia' (C5+1) conference
  • Frequency on the Almaty – Tashkent and Astana – Tashkent routes will increase to 60 flights per week each
  • On other routes between the countries, the limit will rise from 14 to 20 flights per week

Talks in Tashkent

The aviation authorities of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan held bilateral talks in Tashkent on the sidelines of the Conference of the working group on civil aviation cooperation press service of the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan. The Kazakh delegation was led by Saltanat Tompiyeva, chairperson of the ministry's Civil Aviation Committee, and the Uzbek side by Jamoliddin Nazarov, head of the Air Transport Department at the Ministry of Transport.

What was agreed

The parties discussed expanding air services, increasing the frequency of regular flights and making travel more accessible between the largest cities of the two countries. The outcome was an agreement to raise the permitted number of frequencies to 60 flights per week on each of the two key routes — Almaty – Tashkent and Astana – Tashkent. On other routes between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the limit will rise from 14 to 20 flights per week.

What this changes

This is a formal increase in the permitted number of flights — that is, an expansion of quotas for airlines, not a ready-made schedule. The ministry noted that implementing the agreementswill make it possible to increase supply on the most in-demand routes. For passengers, this means potentially more flight options between Tashkent and the two largest cities of Kazakhstan — provided that carriers take advantage of the increased limit.