TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, March 29. The growth of passengers from Russia's Pulkovo Airport to Uzbekistan amounted to 23 percent at the end of last year, the Consul General of Uzbekistan in St. Petersburg Abdurakhmon Makhmudov said, Trend reports.
According to the press service of Pulkovo Airport, he spoke at a meeting between Uzbekistan Airways and the main travel agencies of the country organized in St. Petersburg.
Representatives of the carrier shared the schedule of flights for the summer season, talked about plans to develop destinations, and discussed the tourism potential of Uzbekistan.
Abdurakhmon Makhmudov spoke about Uzbekistan's key attractions and main infrastructural amenities, in particular the Silk Road Samarkand resort cluster, a unique multifunctional complex that combines cultural, medical, and business tourism. He noted the high interest of Russians in Uzbekistan and said that more than 714,000 tourists from Russia visited the country in 2023.
Director of Uzbekistan Airways representative office in St. Petersburg Khushnud Artykov emphasized that cities in Uzbekistan can also be convenient connecting points for Russians. The carrier performs transit flights to cities in Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia. New destinations for the airline in 2024 are Batumi, Mumbai, Rome, and Urumqi.
Uzbekistan Airways plans to operate up to 22 flights per week from Pulkovo Airport during the summer schedule. Flights to seven cities in Uzbekistan have been opened from St. Petersburg: Tashkent, Bukhara, Namangan, Samarkand, Termez, Urgench, and Ferghana.
The event was prepared with the participation of the Consulate General of Uzbekistan in St. Petersburg and AeroTour, the official airline agent for North-West Russia. The guests were representatives of Northern Capital Gateway LLC, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in St. Petersburg, the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg, and the Committee for Tourism Development of St. Petersburg.
Meanwhile, Russian Azimuth Airlines launches flights from Sochi (Russia) to Termez (Uzbekistan) and back as of April 1. According to the administration of the Surkhandarya region, flights between the cities will be operated every week, on Mondays.