Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Today, on 21 April 2023, a solemn meeting was held at the Tashkent International Airport named after Islam Karimov for the first of two Airbus A330 aircraft, which Uzbekistan Airways plans to use for commercial operation in 2023-2024.

Airbus A330 is a long-haul aircraft. The salon is designed for 266 passengers, of which 18 seats are in business class and 248 in economy. Flight range - up to 12,000 km. The length of the aircraft is 58.37 m. The wingspan is 60.3 m.

The airliner at the capital’s airport was traditionally greeted with a water arch, to the sounds of karnai-surnai, and incendiary national dances. The solemn ceremony was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Transport, management and employees of Uzbekistan Airways JSC, media representatives and airspotters.

In pursuance of the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On measures to transform and support civil aviation enterprises" and the tasks set in the "road map", Uzbekistan Airways has done significant work, which has made it possible to increase the efficiency of flights, expand the geography of flights and significantly increase the number of passengers carried – in 2022, this figure exceeded 4 million. To fulfill these tasks, in 2022, the aircraft fleet was replenished with five Airbus A321Neo aircraft. An agreement was signed for the purchase of four new Airbus A320Neo by the end of 2023 and twelve aircraft by 2029.

The airline’s route network is gradually being restored, flights to Paris, Milan, Beijing, Tokyo are reopened. On 26 April, flights to Jakarta resume. The frequency of flights to New York, Frankfurt, Tel Aviv, London, Riga, Tbilisi, Almaty, and other cities has increased. Flights to Bangkok are scheduled to begin in June.

To implement the ambitious plans of Uzbekistan Airways, as part of the concept of expanding the fleet of aircraft and fulfilling the tasks of increasing the route network, it was decided to lease two aircraft of the Airbus A330 family. The corresponding agreement was signed between Uzbekistan Airways and Heston Airlines. The aircraft meets all safety requirements and will operate medium and long-haul flights.

Heston Airlines is an airline specializing in charter flights and aircraft rental around the world. The head office is located in Vilnius (Lithuania). The company is part of the Heston Aviation Group, the main activity of which is the leasing, maintenance, and repair of aviation equipment.

At the initial stage, Uzbekistan Airways plans to operate this aircraft on the routes Tashkent - Istanbul, Tashkent – Dubai, and Tashkent - Jeddah.

The first commercial flight is planned to be made on 23 April 2023 on the route Tashkent-Istanbul-Tashkent.

The second Airbus A330 aircraft is scheduled for delivery to Uzbekistan on 3 May 2023.