Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Launch New Air Routes and Joint Silk Road Tours

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Following the directive of Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister, Olzhas Bektenov, efforts are being intensified to develop tourism and transport links between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

According to the Government of Kazakhstan, starting 1 December, SCAT Airlines will operate regular flights on the routes Turkestan–Bukhara, Turkestan–Urgench (Khiva), and Turkestan–Samarkand.

Flights will run three times a week in each direction, with one-way ticket prices set at 40,000 tenge. Initially, the flights will be subsidized to establish a stable passenger flow.

The launch of these routes aims to boost tourism, promote the cities along the Great Silk Road, strengthen regional transport connectivity, and attract foreign tourists.

In addition, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports has developed a concept for a joint Silk Road tourism route in Central Asia, covering the cities of Almaty, Shymkent, Turkestan, Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva.

The first tour to Samarkand has already been carried out in cooperation with the tour operator Kompastour, and negotiations with other travel companies are ongoing.

In 2026, both countries plan to jointly promote their tourism potential to integrate and enhance the combined tourist resources of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.