The national airline Uzbekistan Airways began operating flights to European countries, bypassing Russian airspace, starting January 20. This was announced on January 28 during a press conference by Chairman Shukhrat Khudaykulov, as reported by Spot's correspondent.
The head of Uzbekistan Airways stated that concerns regarding flight safety over Russia are valid. The airline's specialists are working together with the Flight Control Center to analyze flight safety and are sending the appropriate notifications to the crew (NOTAM).
On January 10, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) recommended restricting flights over major Russian cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, and Yekaterinburg.
“Previously, all our flights to Europe were routed through Russia. However, starting January 20, we completely changed the flight route to Europe. Now, flights are directed south, including through Azerbaijan and Turkey. This has resulted in an increase in flight time by 30-40 minutes and additional costs,” Shukhrat Khudaykulov stated.
According to him, despite the new challenges of operating flights to Europe, Uzbekistan Airways has not revised or raised ticket prices and has absorbed the costs themselves. Khudaykulov emphasized that passengers should not be held accountable for this force majeure situation.
On December 25, an Embraer 190 AZAL aircraft, en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed near Aktau Airport, resulting in numerous casualties. Azerbaijan’s Minister of Transport Rashad Nabiyev stated that the aircraft experienced “external influence.” One of the theories regarding the cause of the crash involved a Russian missile.
Following this incident, several foreign airlines announced a temporary suspension of flights to certain cities in Russia. The investigation into the causes of the crash of the Azerbaijani aircraft AZAL is ongoing.
Earlier, Spot reported that Uzbekistan Airways is offering all passengers a 30% discount.