Where is Uzbekistan Airways?

Discuss issues and news related to PIA, Pakistani airlines and Pakistan's civil & military aviation.
pk758lhelhr
Registered Member
Posts: 22
Joined: Sat Jun 20, 2009 11:17 am

Where is Uzbekistan Airways?

Post by pk758lhelhr »

It seems that Uzbekistan Airways has ended its service to Islamabad and Lahore.
Atleast it is not displayed on the arival schedule neither on the departureschedule.

Does anybody what happened to Uzbekistan Airways operations in Pakistan.
User avatar
Pineapple
Registered Member
Posts: 644
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2007 6:52 pm
Location: Sydney-Australia

Re: Where is Uzbekistan Airways?

Post by Pineapple »

Insignificant airline of an insignificant country flying to ISB and LHE, that are insignificant airports without much international airline presence or activity. Not even a speck on the horizon of civil aviation.

I would be more concerned if and when Singapore airlines, Lufthansa, British Airways and Malaysia quit their service. Those are world-class carriers.
4 engines 4 long-haul
User avatar
Abbas Ali
Site Admin
Posts: 52157
Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2004 6:52 pm
Location: Pakistan

Re: Where is Uzbekistan Airways?

Post by Abbas Ali »

Uzbekistan Airways ended their non-stop flights linking Tashkent with Islamabad and Lahore about two months ago, according to local sources.

The airline was offering cheaper fares for these non-stop flights.

Now passengers have to buy expensive tickets of other airlines for traveling between Tashkent and Pakistan, according to travel agents.

There's possibility of Uzbekistan Airways resuming Pakistan flights in January 2014.

Abbas
Dil Dil Pakistan... Jaan Jaan Pakistan

See you at:
Image
squawk7600
Registered Member
Posts: 37
Joined: Mon Apr 01, 2013 4:42 pm

Re: Where is Uzbekistan Airways?

Post by squawk7600 »

some buisnessmen from Pakistan and Uzbekistan might have interests in these flights but unfortunately they failed to attract tourists and visitors to their country.The loads were always low so it finally meet its demise.Seasonal flights is an option preferentialy in springs and summers.I could remember in August they invited famous columnist from various newspapers lille Hamid Mir and Javed Chaudary as an attempt to get attention of Pakistani public and all columnist wrote articles about natural beauty and medivial Islamic history of Uzbekistan.
Also what happened to Nas Air??
User avatar
Abbas Ali
Site Admin
Posts: 52157
Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2004 6:52 pm
Location: Pakistan

Re: Where is Uzbekistan Airways?

Post by Abbas Ali »

Direct air link to Central Asia snapped

ZULQERNAIN TAHIR

March 2, 2014

LAHORE:
Pakistan’s last direct air link with Central Asian states was broken after Uzbekistan Airways suspended its Lahore operation for an indefinite period.

No other foreign or local airline is operating direct flights to and from any of the Central Asian states, thus forcing passengers bound for the region to take connecting flights from the Gulf.

Uzbekistan Airways, which suspended its Lahore-Tashkent operation recently, has not offered any reason for the decision on its website.

However, official sources told Dawn that mutual visa restrictions between Uzbekistan and Pakistan had lowered the passenger volume, thus leaving the airline with no other choice but to wind up operations in Pakistan.

“That there have been some instances of Pakistanis slipping away into Uzbekistan is one of the main reasons for the visa restriction imposed by the Uzbek government. Pakistan is also extra careful in allowing in Uzbek men and women,” a source in the foreign ministry says.

Pakistani businessmen and students are among those affected by the suspension of the air link. “We would export goods weighing 10 tonnes every week to the Central Asian states through the Lahore-Tashkent flights.

Our textile and handicraft goods have a good market over there,” Pakistan Air Cargo Agents Association President Tahir Malik says.

“The transport expenditures have doubled since the direct air link with Tashkent was suspended.”

Mr Malik adds: “We have to get the cargo booked through connecting flights in the Gulf for the Central Asian states. Since we have no direct road link (with the region), the government should give a go-ahead to the national flag carrier to operate on these routes to facilitate the business community.”

He points out that Nepal is also a major market for Pakistani goods, but there is only one small aircraft flight from Karachi, which does not have ample capacity for cargo.

At one time in the 1990s, PIA used to operate flights to and from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan. However, eventual reduction in passenger volume was the main reason for the national carrier to suspend its operations indefinitely.

“Not only students and businessmen but general tourists and travel agents in Pakistan have also been affected by the denial of direct air link with Central Asia,” Travel Agents Association of Pakistan former president Mirza Ishfaq says.

“Travel agents would do good business by giving options to passengers travelling to Europe [via] Uzbekistan Airlines due to its cheap fares.

This option does not exist anymore,” he says, adding that tourism between the two countries had come to a virtual halt after the suspension of the Lahore-Tashkent flight.

Sources said PIA had asked some Central Asian states to give it Fifth Freedom Rights (collecting passengers from their countries en route to European destinations) but the request was refused.

Interestingly, the Nawaz Sharif government in its previous tenure had given these rights to some foreign airlines under the Open Skies policy. The policy is opposed by some who say it is costing PIA dearly.

PIA spokesperson Mashhood Tajwar says the national airline would consider resuming direct flights to Central Asian states provided they were economically viable.

Source: DAWN
Dil Dil Pakistan... Jaan Jaan Pakistan

See you at:
Image