Uzbekistan Airways

Uzbekistan Airways
IATA ICAO Call sign
HY UZB UZBEK
Founded28 January 1992 (1992-01-28)
Commenced operations31 May 1992 (1992-05-31)
HubsTashkent International Airport
Frequent-flyer programUz Air Plus
SubsidiariesUzbekistan Express[citation needed]
Fleet size33
Destinations58
Parent companyGovernment of Uzbekistan
HeadquartersTashkent, Uzbekistan
Websiteuzairways.com

JSC Uzbekistan Airways,[1] operating as Uzbekistan Airways (Uzbek: Oʻzbekiston Havo Yoʻllari, Ўзбекистон Ҳаво Йўллари; Russian: Узбекские Авиалинии), is the flag carrier of Uzbekistan,[2] headquartered in Tashkent.[3] 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,[4] and took over the operations of the Uzbekistan division of Aeroflot on 31 May 1992.[5] In 1993, Uzbekistan Airways acquired its first two Airbus A310-300s.[6] The two A310s were counted as part of the fleet at March 1995, along with Ukrainian and 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.[7] Late in 1995, the carrier ordered its first Boeing aircraft: two Boeing 767-300ERs and a single Boeing 757.[8]

Uzbekistan Airways was the launch customer for the Ilyushin Il-114; it took delivery of the first, locally assembled aircraft, in July 1998.[9][10] In June 1998, the airline took delivery of the last-built Airbus A310 ever (msn. 706, reg. UK-31003).[11] Two more Boeing 757-200s were directly ordered from Boeing in April 1999.[12] Late in 1999, the company took ownership of the first of these two 184-seater Boeing 757-200.[13]

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.[4]

Two more Boeing 767-300ERs, equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW4000 powerplants, were ordered in 2001 and scheduled for delivery in 2002.[14]

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.[15]

Controversies

Operations in Russia

Uzbekistan Airways faced criticism for continuing to operate flights over Russian airspace amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. While many airlines ceased flying over Russia due to sanctions and airspace closures, Uzbekistan Airways continued its operations. According to reports, it remained one of the airlines that continued to fly over Russian airspace in defiance of international pressure and sanctions imposed on Russia. In 2023, Uzbekistan Airways was listed on the "Leave Russia" project, which tracks companies maintaining business activities in Russia. Critics argued that by continuing its flights over Russian territory, Uzbekistan Airways indirectly supported Russia's economy and its government during the conflict.[16][17]

Destinations

Main article: List of Uzbekistan Airways destinations

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.[18] The carrier is not part of any partnership or airline alliance.

Codeshare agreements

Uzbekistan Airways has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:[19][20]

Interline agreements

Uzbekistan Airways has interline agreements with the following airlines:[19]

Fleet

Uzbekistan Airways Airbus A320neo
Uzbekistan Airways Boeing 767-300ER
Uzbekistan Airways Boeing 787-8

Current fleet

As of March 2020, the airline operates the following aircraft:[26][27][needs update][better source needed]

Uzbekistan Airways Fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers[28] Notes
C Y Total
Airbus A320-200 10 — 12 138 150[29] One aircraft operating for the Government of Uzbekistan
Airbus A320neo 3[30][31] 7[32] 12 138 150
Airbus A321neo — 4[32] TBA
Airbus A321LR 5[33] — 16 172 188[34]
Airbus A330-200 1 1[35] 18 248 266[35]
Boeing 757-200 4 — 26 158 184
22 168 190
Boeing 767-300ER 7 — 15 232 247 One aircraft operating for the Government of Uzbekistan
Boeing 787-8 6[36][37][38] 3[39] 24 222 246
246 270[38]
Let L-410 Turbolet 1 1 — 19 19 Operations from July 2023.[40][41][42]
Uzbekistan Airways Cargo fleet
Boeing 767-300BCF 2 —
Cargo
Total 39 16

Fleet development

An Ilyushin Il-114 on approach to Tashkent Airport. Uzbekistan Airways was the launch customer of the type.[9]
An Airbus A310-300 arriving in Rome in 2010. This type of aircraft was first acquired by the airline in 1993.[6] 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.[29] 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.[8] 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:

Accidents and incidents

According to the Aviation Safety Network, as of January 2013 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.

Date Location Aircraft Tail number Fatalities Description of the event Refs
17 June 1995 Nukus, Uzbekistan Antonov An-2R UK-33058 Un­known Crashed 43 km (27 mi) away from the city under undisclosed circumstances. [62]
26 August 1999 Turtkul, Uzbekistan Yakovlev Yak-40 UK-87848 2/33 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. [63][64]
13 January 2004 Tashkent, Uzbekistan Yakovlev Yak-40 UK-87985 37/37 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. [64][65]
19 October 2006 Aranchi, Uzbekistan Antonov An-2TP UK-70152 15/15 Crashed amid bad weather, on approach to the Aranchi airfield, while operating a military training flight. [66][67]
August 2009 Zarafshan, Uzbekistan Antonov An-24RV UK-46658 0 Premature retraction of the undercarriage during the takeoff run at Zarafshan Airport. [68]

See also

References

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  14. ^ "Marketplace". Flightglobal. Flight International. 27 March 2001. Archived from the original on 4 November 2018. Uzbekistan Airways has placed orders for two Pratt &Whitney PW4000-powered 767-300ERs for delivery in 2002.
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  62. ^ Accident description for UK-33058 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 18 October 2011.
  63. ^ Accident description for UK-87848 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 30 September 2011.
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  66. ^ Accident description for UK-70152 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 6 November 2011.
  67. ^ Stringer, Robin (19 October 2006). "Uzbekistan Airways Plane Crashes on Military Flight, Killing 15". Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015.
  68. ^ Accident description for UK-46658 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 6 November 2011.

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