Samarkand International Airport in Uzbekistan has been recognised as the “fastest growing airport” in the Europe and Central Asia region, according to official data released by the Airports Council International (ACI).
ACI, which represents over 500 airports in 55 countries in Europe and Central Asia, reported that 1.38 million passengers passed through the airport’s “ultra-modern” terminal in 2024, reflecting a 36.6% increase compared to the previous year.
This growth rate was more than double that of Olbia Airport in Italy, the next fastest-growing airport, which saw an 18.4% rise in passenger traffic.
The development of Samarkand International Airport was driven by Uzbek entrepreneur and investor Bakhityor Fazilov in collaboration with the Government of Uzbekistan through the country’s first major public-private partnership (PPP) in the aviation sector.
The airport’s modern terminal, which opened in early 2022, has since reported continuous record-breaking growth.
Air Marakanda, the ground handling and management operator for the new terminal, is part of the PPP project in Uzbekistan’s aviation industry.
Air Marakanda CEO Ulugbek Shamsikulov said: “Our growth is reward for the visionary investment made in our ultra-modern 21st Century Samarkand airport terminal during a challenging global epidemic.
“These figures underline the pent-up demand for air travel in this historic region and Samarkand’s position as a fast-emerging centre for tourism and commerce in Central Asia.”
International traffic was a key driver of Samarkand’s passenger growth in 2024, with over 1.31 million international travellers passing through the airport.
The most frequented routes included flights to Abu Dhabi, Istanbul, Jeddah, Moscow, and St. Petersburg.
The airport also saw a 23% increase in take-off and landing operations, totalling 11,000 flight movements.
By the end of 2024, Samarkand International Airport had expanded its network to include three domestic and 23 international destinations.
New routes introduced during the year included flights to Xi’an (China), Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt), Turkestan (Kazakhstan), and several Russian cities, such as Tyumen, Nizhny Novgorod, and Irkutsk.
The ACI figures also highlighted that airports in the Europe and Central Asia region surpassed their pre-pandemic passenger numbers, with overall traffic reaching 2.5 billion.
Samarkand International Airport recorded a 186% growth over the five-year period since 2019.
Despite economic uncertainties and geopolitical challenges, the ACI report showed that airports in the region welcomed 200 million additional passengers in 2024.
ACI Europe director general Olivier Jankovec stated that consumers continue to prioritise travel and experiences, contributing to the aviation sector’s resilience.
Jankovec said: “2024 also confirmed major structural post-Covid shifts, with leisure & Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) demand and Low-Cost Carriers largely defining traffic performance – along with airline consolidation, changing air connectivity dynamics and geopolitics.”
Sign up for our daily news round-up!
Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights.
