Uzbekistan Airways is planning to lease low-capacity passenger aircrafts, the likes of Bombardier or Embraer for regional flights, the First Deputy Minister of Transport Ilkhom Makhkamov said at a briefing at the Agency of Information and Mass Communications Monday.
“We have changed our aircraft operation strategies. Firstly, we will not buy them, but will lease them instead, because leasing aircraft benefits airlines in many ways,” he said.
“We are going to lease Bombardier, Embraer, for 70, 80, 90 passengers. They are at lower cost per mile. We will operate the larger aircrafts for long-haul flights only. Now we are switching to this strategy,” said Ilkhom Makhkamov.
He added that two planes would be leased every year and the aircraft number wuold be brought to 38 until 2025.
Today, the Uzbekistan Airways fleet includes Boeing 757/767, Boeing 787–8, A320 aircraft, as well as Boeing 767–300BCF cargo aircraft.
In 2018, the national airline operated 22,580 flights and carried 3.2 million passengers. Nine foreign air carriers made 9657 flights to the Uzbekistan airports and carried 1.5 million people.
