Tashkent, 5 November, . Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan agreed to raise the number of permitted flights to 60 a week on each of the two routes, Almaty — Tashkent and Astana — Tashkent, the Ministry of Transport said.
The talks between the aviation authorities were held on the sidelines of the China — Central Asia (C5+1) civil aviation working group conference in Tashkent. Kazakhstan’s delegation was led by Saltanat Tompiyeva, chair of the Civil Aviation Committee of the Ministry of Transport, and Uzbekistan was represented by Jamoliddin Nazarov, head of the Air Transport Department of Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Transport. The sides discussed wider air links, more frequent scheduled flights and the availability of air travel between the largest cities of the two countries.
On the other routes between the countries, permitted frequencies will rise from 14 to 20 flights a week, which is 43%. On the two main routes the combined ceiling will be 120 flights a week, by the editors’ calculation; the previous limit on them is not named in the report, so the increase cannot be judged. The ministry expects the agreements to increase supply on the most in-demand routes, and growing passenger traffic and business and tourist exchanges to strengthen transport connectivity between the two countries.
What it means: The agreement concerns a ceiling of frequencies, not a timetable: how many flights airlines will actually operate and at what prices is not stated in the report.
Who benefits: In the ministry’s view, passengers and airlines on the most in-demand routes, where supply will grow. Which carriers will get the new frequencies is not reported.
Background: Permitted frequencies are the maximum number of flights a week that the aviation authorities of two countries allow under a bilateral agreement; they limit supply even if demand is higher. On the same day at the same conference Kazakhstan also agreed with China: the flight limit will rise from 150 to 180 a week.
