Uzbekistan Air Cargo Notes | 5 February 2026
- Nadira Islamova
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Welcome to this week's edition of Uzbekistan Air Cargo Notes, the first and only newsletter focusing on the latest news and insights into the dynamic air cargo market of Uzbekistan and Central Asia. This week, we are reporting on Uzbekistan’s initiative to unlock Navoi Airport's potential through operational autonomy, Centrum Holding’s ambitious strategy for US expansion and more.
Air Cargo Trends
Uzbekistan to receive first Embraer transport aircraft
Embraer Defense & Security announced the delivery of the first KC-390 medium-lift transport aircraft to Uzbekistan is scheduled to take place in 2026
The manufacturer identified Tashkent as its tenth customer and first Central Asian operator for the type, which will join an existing inventory of Antonov and CASA airlifters
Air Astana is set to connect Kazakhstan and Cyprus
Air Astana scheduled the launch of direct seasonal passenger flights ex Almaty and Astana, Kazakhstan to Larnaca, Cyprus on June 2026
The airline will operate the route twice weekly VV using Airbus A321LR aircraft
Uzbekistan grants autonomy to key cargo hub
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev approved the separation of Navoi Airport from the centralized state management system to operate under an independent project framework effective on 2 February 2026
The airport will establish a "porto franco" free customs zone with duty exemptions until 2029 targeting over 20,000 tons of annual cargo and partnerships with 25 airlines
Kazakhstan reported aviation sector growth plan
Kazakhstan's airports handled 31.8 million passengers and 173,280 tons of cargo, representing a 7.1% increase year-on-year in 2025
Domestic carriers scheduled the addition of 9 aircraft and the launch of 15 international routes including flights to Tokyo and Rome in 2026
Chengdu Airlines is set to connect China and Kyrgyzstan
Chengdu Airlines scheduled the launch of direct passenger flights ex Kashgar, China to Osh, Kyrgyzstan in April 2026
The airline will operate the route using Comac C909 aircraft
Centrum plans US flights and fleet expansion
Centrum Air proposed launching passenger services to New York and Miami via Vilnius and discussed establishing an aviation university with US partners
The group's cargo subsidiary My Freighter scheduled the acquisition of 5 additional Boeing aircraft in 2026 to bolster its existing fleet of 9 freighters
Other News
Kazakhstan and China expanded Eurasian logistics corridor capacity
The joint logistics base in Lianyungang, China handled 5.16 million tons of cargo in 2025 while infrastructure upgrades at the Khorgos Gateway reduced container processing times from 5 hours to under 1 hour
The partners announced the scheduled operational launch of the Aktau Port container hub for June 2026 following the completion of the facility's first phase
More:
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