Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Airports across Uzbekistan handled 12.66 million passengers in January-September 2026, a 13% increase compared with the same period last year. The number of flights and the volume of cargo and mail handled also rose, according to Uzbekistan Airports.
The country’s airports handled a total of 102,836 flights during the nine-month period, up 10% year on year. Of these, 71,625 were international flights, an increase of 8%, while 31,211 were domestic flights, up 17%.
Passenger traffic on international routes reached 10.36 million, rising by 13%. Domestic flights carried 2.3 million passengers, 15% more than in January-September 2025.
The capital’s airport remained the country’s largest aviation hub, handling 8.49 million passengers and 62,482 flights during the reporting period. Passenger traffic increased by 16% year on year, while the number of flights rose by 7%.
Among regional airports, Samarkand recorded the highest passenger traffic, with around 1.11 million passengers. It was followed by Urgench with 724,400 passengers, Ferghana with 511,000 and Namangan with 497,600.
Andijan Airport recorded the highest relative growth, with passenger numbers increasing 8.7-fold to 161,400. Uzbekistan Airports said the sharp increase was partly due to the low base effect. The airport resumed operations on 20 March 2025 following a major reconstruction of its airfield complex and had not yet returned to full capacity during the corresponding period last year.
Passenger traffic increased by 48% in Termez, 18% in Urgench and 17% in Nukus. Uzbekistan Airports attributed the growth in Termez partly to expanded services under the Umrah programme and the launch of flights by Saudi airline Flyadeal. More affordable pilgrimage travel costs also attracted passengers from neighbouring countries. In Urgench and Nukus, the opening of new international routes contributed to the increase.
At the same time, some airports recorded declines in passenger traffic. The figure fell by 16% in Namangan and 22% in Karshi. According to the company, these changes reflect shifts in route networks and passenger demand, as well as airline schedule adjustments in response to the geopolitical situation.
At Navoi Airport, the changes reflected the expansion of cargo operations. Although the number of passenger flights declined and passenger traffic fell by 22%, the total number of flights handled increased by 14%, while cargo handling also rose. The company linked this trend to changes in the structure of air transport and the airport’s development as a cargo aviation hub.
Bukhara Airport handled 407,400 passengers over the nine months, 1% fewer than in the same period of 2025. A project to build a new international airport is currently being implemented in the region, with the aim of expanding passenger transport capacity and supporting tourism development.
In some cases, passenger traffic increased despite a decline in the number of flights. In Ferghana, for example, passenger numbers rose by 5% even as flights decreased by 11%. In Samarkand, passenger traffic remained at last year’s level, while the number of flights fell by 2%.
The cargo segment also recorded positive growth. Uzbekistan’s airports handled 84,800 tonnes of cargo and mail in January-September, up 27% compared with the same period in 2025. Most of this volume was processed at Tashkent Airport, which handled 78,867.9 tonnes.
Overall, Uzbekistan’s airports recorded growth across all three main areas of activity during the first nine months of 2026: passenger traffic, flight numbers, and cargo and mail handling. Passenger traffic grew faster than the number of flights, while cargo volumes increased by more than a quarter.
