TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, January 16. Uzbekistan's Samarkand International Airport achieved record-breaking growth in 2024, handling 1.38 million passengers, a 37 percent increase compared to 2023, the airport told Trend.
The surge in international visitors was a significant driver of this growth, with international passenger traffic rising by 43 percent. The airport saw its largest monthly increases in February (59 percent), April (60 percent), May (62 percent), and June (69 percent), setting records in each period.
Ulugbek Shamsikulov, CEO of Air Marakanda, the company managing the airport, highlighted the factors behind this success. "These record-breaking figures underline the continuing development of Samarkand as an emerging center for tourism and commerce in Central Asia. The main factor behind this growth was the effective development of cooperation with existing airlines, as well as the attraction of new airline partners. Thanks to this, Samarkand airport continues to strengthen its position as a key transport hub in the region."
International routes were the primary growth area in 2024, with over 1.31 million passengers traveling to and from destinations such as Abu Dhabi, Istanbul, Jeddah, Moscow, and St. Petersburg. The number of flight operations also rose significantly, with take-offs and landings increasing by 23 percent to 11,000.
By the end of 2024, Samarkand International Airport’s route network had expanded to three domestic and 23 international destinations. New additions included Xi’an (China), Sharm El-Sheikh (Egypt), Turkestan (Kazakhstan), and several Russian cities, such as Tyumen, Nizhny Novgorod, and Irkutsk.