After first being announced in September 2021, Uzbekistan's startup Silk Avia is preparing to start receiving aircraft. Silk Avia is under the wing of the Uzbekistan Ministry of Transport, and the project is managed by the state-owned airport corporation, Uzbekistan Airports JSC.As a low-cost carrier, Silk Avia aims to stimulate domestic tourism and business development with ticket prices comparable to existing train services. The airline will also increase regional connectivity to the capital of Tashkent and on point-to-point routes not currently available. A secondary aim is to encourage the development of regional airports, hence the involvement of Uzbekistan Airports JSC.

New livery is based on Asian silk

On October 21st, the new livery for Silk Avia was unveiled in Samarkand, a UNESCO World Heritage site, at the start of the fabled Silk Road from China to Europe. The livery is based on satin fabrics, akin to many sold in bazaars throughout Central Asia.

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At the end of October, Uzbek news outlet Kun.uz reported an interview with Uzbekistan's Minister of Transport Ilkhom Makhkamov about the progress of Silk Avia. The airline had previously announced it would operate ATR 72-600 aircraft, forecasting it would have 12 ATRs on 216 weekly flights to 54 destinations by 2025. The transport minister said:

"The flights of this compnay connect not only Tashkent, but also regional centers. As part of the signed document, the program for launching these flights was also approved. Three airplanes of the airline will be delivered by the end of this year and flights will be launched."

An ATR72-600 flying over a beach.
Photo: ATR

Finding the ATRs has delayed launch

The minister is referring to a decree from Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announcing the purchase of 12 aircraft from the Franco-Italian concern ATR by 2025. That report also said that Silk Avia would grow weekly flights from 28 to 216, passengers from 2,000 to 14,000 and routes from 10 to 54 in the next three years.

The airline will ultimately be privatized, but for now, the project is managed by Uzbekistan Airports. The chairperson is Rano Jurayeva, and she said three planes will be purchased in 2022 and three more in 2023, growing to the eleven it needs to cover forty domestic routes. Once that is done, Silk Avia will start exploring international services to Central Asian cities.

Those attending the Dubai Airshow in November 2021 may have seen the announcement surrounding Silk Avia's creation and its strategic partnership with HAS Aviation GT of Dubai. HAS Aviation is working on strategy development for the new low-cost carrier (LCC), which is not designed to be a competitor to the national carrier, Uzbekistan Airways, but rather a partner for domestic activities.

Sourcing suitable ATRs has been an issue and is why the initial September - October launch was delayed. Jurayeva told Kunz.uz, "It is difficult to find aircraft of this type because 75% of domestic flights in the whole world are carried out by such planes."

"So far we have found three [that] were produced in 2019 and almost did not fly [as] they have been standing since the announcement of the panedmic. In 2023-24 we are planning to purchase brand new aircraft from ATR."

Silk Avia ticket prices will range from 180,000 soums to 335,000 soums ($16.40 to $30.45), although the announcement does not specify the routes for those fares. Local pilots are being supplemented with pilots from Russia, with all to undergo training at ATR's base in Toulouse, France. Local maintenance operator UAT (Uzbekistan Airways Technics) will look after the ATRs, with their mechanics also heading to France for training.

Building ties to Southeast Asia

Uzbekistan Airways Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner UK78704 (4)
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying.

Links between Central and Southeast Asia were strengthened last week when Uzbekistan Airways launched flights from Tashkent to the Vietnam island of Phu Quoc. In the other direction, Vietnamese LCC VietJet Air is starting flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Tashkent on December 15th.

With such low fares, will you be giving Silk Avia a try?

Source: Kun.uz

  • Turboprop ATR Getty
    ATR
    Business Type:
    Planemaker
    Date Founded:
    1981-00-00
    CEO:
    Stefano Bortoli
    Headquarters Location:
    Toulouse, France