Uzbek flag-carrier Air Samarkand took off on the maiden flight of its Samarkand-Tel Aviv route yesterday, 4th May.
In light of the launch, the airline also announced a doubling of weekly capacity from July to meet surging customer demand.
The new weekly service flew with a modern Air Samarkand Airbus A330 aircraft and will continue every Sunday.
The first flight departed from Samarkand in Uzbekistan on schedule at 06:00 am and arrived in Tel Aviv five and a half hours later, at 09:25 am local time.
The return service departed from Tel Aviv at 11:20 am, arriving back in the historic city of Samarkand at 18:40 pm local time.
Passengers on these inaugural services were treated to a traditional welcome at both airports and were also presented with special gifts and treats.
Meeting higher passenger demand
Given high levels of passenger demand, Air Samarkand used the inaugural service to announce a doubling of route capacity starting from July, with a second return to be operated on every Thursday.
Services will be operated by 313-seater Airbus A330 or the slightly smaller Airbus A321 aircraft according to load factors.
Air Samarkand chief executive Zafar Butayev said: “The opening of regular flights to Tel Aviv represents an important step in the development of ties between Uzbekistan and Israel. We are seeing steady interest in this route from tourist, pilgrim and business travellers, and are delighted to confirm a second service starting from July. This will meet growing demand for a convenient and competitive direct service that links our two culturally rich cities and represents another important step forward in the expansion of the Air Samarkand route network,” he said.
These latest developments coincide with recent initiatives to strengthen the cooperation between Uzbekistan and Israel across trade, migration, and other social and economic spheres.
Tel Aviv is the latest part of Air Samarkand’s strategy to expand its international route network.
In 2025, the airline plans to increase the frequency of services to key destinations and add new international city destinations.
It continues to develop its fleet by investing in modern aircraft and improving customer service to strengthen its position in the Central Asian market.
