Continuing with the growth of its network, Kuwaiti budget airline Jazeera Airways has launched direct, non-stop service from Kuwait to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The twice-weekly service, which saw its first flight on June 27th, will further open up another tourism opportunity for the Central Asian nation, which is rich in ancient history and culture.

Jazeera's newest route

Jazeera Airways is launching the first-ever route between Kuwait and Uzbekistan. This first flight to the Uzbek capital took place on June 27th, with some VIPs in attendance to mark the special occasion.

Celebrating the first flight of the new service were Jazeera Chief Executive Officer Rohit Ramachandran and Consul of the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Faroukh A. Vakhabov.

Speaking of the new launch, Ramachandran said the following:

“We are very pleased to be launching yet a new destination to Tashkent to support growing trade relations between the Middle East region and Uzbekistan...Uzbekistan offers a unique nature, rich culture and long history, in addition to great outdoor activities.”

The flight departed Jazeera's exclusive terminal T5 at Kuwait International Airport at 20:35 local time.

Jazeera first flight to Tashkent cake cutting
Photo: Jazeera Airways

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Flight details

The new service between Kuwait and Tashkent will, at least for now, operate on a twice-weekly basis, departing Kuwait on Wednesdays and Sundays and departing Tashkent on Thursdays and Mondays. Here is the schedule for the service:

  • Kuwait to Tashkent: Flight J9 649. Depart Kuwait at 20:35. Arrive in Tashkent the following day at 01:50. Flight duration is three hours and 15 minutes.
  • Tashkent to Kuwait: Flight J9 650. Depart Tashkent at 03:00 Arrive in Kuwait the following day at 05:15. Flight duration is four hours and 15 minutes.

We asked Jazeera Airways about the strange timing of the service as arrival in Tashkent at nearly 02:00 in the morning might not be the most convenient for tourists. A spokesperson told us that flight times were based on the availability of airport slots. One 'bright side' of departing and arriving in the dark is that temperatures will be much cooler when it comes to travels during the hot summer months.

The flight connecting the two countries will be around four hours in duration. Photo: GCMap.com

Boosting tourism, fostering trade

As was alluded to by Jazeera Airways' CEO, the new route will support tourism and trade between the two countries. While Kuwait is much less of a tourism destination, Uzbekistan is very much the opposite with its rich history. As Jazeera Airways notes, the country was "once at the crossroads of the Silk Road, linking the East to the West."

"Uzbekistan is without a doubt a destination worth visiting. It offers something new and different from other touristic destinations...But most importantly, we see this new service as an opportunity to grow trade relations and introduce new products and services that we believe are an added value to

local markets." - Faroukh A. Vakhabov, Consul of the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Trade between the two nations will also be helped with this service as goods can be flown along with passengers. The currency of Kuwait, the Kuwaiti Dinar, will also go a long way with Uzbek trade and tourism as it has consistently ranked as the most valuable in the world.

Have you been to Uzbekistan before? What do you think of this new route? Let us know by leaving a comment.