China Eastern Airlines to launch flights to Uzbekistan

According to an announcement on the agency’s official website, the Chinese carrier is permitted to operate flights on the Xi’an–Tashkent–Xi’an route. The flights will be conducted using Boeing 737-800 aircraft.

Just two days earlier, the agency also authorized flights by China’s flagship carrier, Air China, which plans to operate routes to Tashkent from Beijing and Urumqi.

In June 2024, Uzbekistan and China agreed during a C5+1 civil aviation conference to increase the total number of weekly flights between the two countries to 100. The number of airlines permitted to operate between the countries is also expected to double.

Under these agreements, Chinese carriers will be allowed to fly from any city in China to all international airports in Uzbekistan. In turn, the number of Chinese airports open to Uzbek airlines will expand to 12.

Last October, Uzbekistan’s private airline Centrum Air announced plans to launch a Tashkent–Guangzhou route. Around the same time, Chinese carrier China Southern revealed its intention to begin Guangzhou–Tashkent flights via Urumqi starting in 2025.