Uzbekistan to see two more start-ups in 2021 - minister

Uzbekistan Airways unveils new budget carrier brand

Uzbekistan Airways (HY, Tashkent Islam Karimov) has detailed further plans for its new low-cost division, known as Uzbekistan Express (HY, Tashkent Islam Karimov) and will focus primarily on leisure routes.

According to the plan, Uzbekistan Express will operate two A320-200s, sourced from Uzbekistan Airways, that will be reconfigured with 174 economy-class seats instead of the current mainline layout of 12 business and 138 economy seats. The plan, however, is to add two more A320s in due course.

The LCC brand will focus on domestic Uzbek routes as well as international sectors and will make its debut on August 30 on the Tashkent-Moscow Domodedovo-Tashkent route. Other key cities it will serve include Novosibirsk, Kazan Int'l, Rostov Platov, Krasnodar, Adler/Sochi, Mineralnye Vody, and Ekaterinburg in Russia as well as Aktau and Aktobe in Kazakhstan.

Provisional ch-aviation schedules data shows the following Express-branded flights have been loaded:

• Tashkent-Nur-Sultan Nazarbayev: single flight from September 1;
• Nukus-Aktobe:...

Editorial Comment: Updates with latest schedule data - 30.08.2021 - 12:17 UTC

Uzbekistan's Qanot Sharq to launch charter ops in mid-3Q21

US tentatively bans all ticket sales to Belarus

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has tentatively proposed to ban all passenger ticket sales, including on an interline basis, for travel between the US and Belarus in response to the May 23 state-backed forced diversion of a Ryanair aircraft over the eastern European country.

The DOT said it acted upon an earlier request by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who recommended limiting flights between the US and Belarus.

"Accordingly, the DOT tentatively finds that it is in the public interest to condition the authority of all US and foreign carriers to the extent necessary to prohibit the sale of passenger air transportation, including air transportation on an interline basis, between the United States and Belarus," the Department said.

In technical terms, the ban will be enforced by adding an appropriate condition to all existing and future certificates for US carriers and foreign carriers authorised to operate to the country. The DOT gave all parties two days to comment. The decision will become effective immediately upon the finalisation of the order. The only exception from...

US to suspend bilateral air services agreement with Belarus

The United States intends to suspend its 2019 bilateral air services agreement with Belarus, dealing another blow to the country's already embattled aviation industry.

In a statement issued on May 28, 2021, the White House said the Biden administration would ramp up pressure on the autocratic regime of President Aleksandr Lukashenko in response to what it termed the continuing repression of pro-democracy protests as well as the forced diversion of Ryanair's B737-800 on May 23 and the ensuing arrest of journalist Raman Protasevich who was onboard.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the US would also seek to sanction Belarusian companies and individuals both unilaterally and in coordination with partners from the European Union.

"We take these measures, together with our partners and Allies, to hold the regime accountable for its actions and to demonstrate our commitment to the aspirations of the people of Belarus," she commented.

The 2019 bilateral air services agreement between the US and Belarus removed all restrictions on the number of flights and routings between the two countries. However,...