Andijan Airport welcomes first wide-body Airbus A330

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Andijan International Airport has welcomed a wide-body Airbus A330 aircraft for the first time in its history. The inaugural scheduled flight on the Medina–Andijan route was operated by the Saudi low-cost airline Flyadeal.

The Airbus A330-300 aircraft landed on 3 July 2026 at 16:40 Tashkent time. The flight carried 354 passengers arriving from Medina. Following tradition, the inaugural flight was greeted with a water salute arch.

The new route will be served on a regular basis. Flights on the Medina–Andijan–Medina route are scheduled once a week, on Fridays.

The Hokim (governor) of the Andijan region, Shuhratbek Abdurahmonov, took part in the welcoming ceremony for the first flight, greeting the passengers and pilgrims and wishing them a safe stay.

According to the director of Andijan International Airport, Sokhibzhon Kenjaev, the launch of Flyadeal flights opens up new opportunities for the region's residents and contributes to the development of air connectivity between Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia. He emphasized that the first reception of a wide-body Airbus A330 marks a milestone event for the airport.

Airport officials noted that the capacity to handle aircraft of this class became possible after the completion of a large-scale reconstruction project, which concluded ahead of the airport's reopening on 20 March 2025. During the modernization process, the runway, taxiways, apron, and aircraft parking stands were completely renovated, enabling the facility to accommodate modern wide-body aircraft.

The launch of the new flight will also improve transport accessibility for residents of the Ferghana Valley, primarily for citizens making pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia. Direct flights are currently operated from Andijan to cities in Russia, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.