BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 7. Uzbekistan and the UK discussed the possibility of launching direct flights between Tashkent and Manchester.
This was announced in a statement by the country's Ambassador Ravshan Usmanov, following a meeting with Rhys Whalley, Director of Corporate Affairs at Manchester Airports Group (MAG).
The meeting focused on expanding transport links between the two countries, with particular attention given to establishing a direct air connection between Uzbekistan's capital and one of the United Kingdom's largest regional aviation hubs.
"Meeting in Manchester with Rhys Whalley to discuss prospects for launching direct Tashkent-Manchester flights," Usmanov said in the statement.
The proposed Tashkent-Manchester service would strengthen connectivity between Uzbekistan and the United Kingdom, facilitate business and tourism travel, and improve transport links for the growing number of passengers traveling between the two countries.
The discussions reflect Uzbekistan's broader efforts to expand its international aviation network by opening new direct routes to key global destinations as part of its strategy to boost tourism, trade and investment.
Manchester Airports Group (MAG) is the UK's largest airport operator, managing Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports. Established in 2001, the company handled 54 million passengers across its airports last year. MAG contributes more than 8 billion pounds ($10.7 billion) annually to the UK economy and employs over 7,000 people.
