TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, August 5. The aviation authorities of Uzbekistan and Indonesia have signed a landmark agreement to strengthen cooperation in civil aviation and pilgrimage tourism, Trend reports.
This agreement supports Goal 53 of the Uzbekistan–2030 Strategy, ratified by Presidential Decree on September 11, 2023, which targets a fourfold increase in air transportation volumes by 2030.
The Uzbek Ministry of Transport delegation met in Jakarta, where they presented Indonesia with an overview of Uzbekistan’s wide-ranging reforms in pilgrimage tourism and civil aviation. The two sides also explored opportunities to expand the “Umrah Plus” program, designed to promote pilgrimage travel.
Following productive negotiations, the parties agreed to remove restrictions on the number of airlines permitted under the previous bilateral air services agreement.
The new agreement designates additional destination points for Uzbek airlines, including Denpasar, Surabaya, Medan, Yogyakarta, Majalengka, Banda Aceh, Tanjung Pandang, and Lombok, alongside Jakarta.
Furthermore, the agreement increases weekly flight frequencies to 28 flights per airline from each country, totaling 56 flights in both directions. Indonesian airlines are also granted rights to operate flights to all international airports in Uzbekistan.
This enhanced cooperation is expected to stimulate growth in air traffic between the two nations, boost pilgrimage tourism, and support the broader objectives of Uzbekistan’s national development strategy.
Meanwhile, the Uzbek airline Qanot Sharq, in partnership with the travel company Asialux, currently operates seasonal tourist charter flights on the Tashkent-Denpasar (Bali) route. Concurrently, the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Indonesia is conducting extensive outreach and educational campaigns within the Indonesian tourism market to promote Uzbekistan’s tourism potential globally and increase foreign demand for travel to the country.