Uzbekistan is emerging as Central Asia’s fastest-growing aviation market, with passenger and cargo traffic expanding alongside a major airport investment cycle. The country’s airlines carried 11.1 million passengers in 2025 — three times more than in 2019 — giving Uzbekistan a 35% share of the region’s passenger air transport market, according to the Eurasian Development Bank.
Cargo aviation drives regional expansion
Uzbekistan’s position is even stronger in air cargo. National airlines transported 224,500 tonnes of freight in 2025, accounting for about 67% of the combined cargo traffic handled by airlines from the five Central Asian countries.
The expansion is being supported by the growth of the freighter fleet, the development of transit routes and the rapid expansion of e-commerce. Together, these factors are increasing demand for cargo handling capacity, airport engineering systems and specialized logistics services.
Airport projects create a large investment pipeline
Uzbekistan also holds the region’s largest airport development portfolio. The Eurasian Development Bank estimates the combined value of airport projects under implementation or in planning at $2.95 billion.
The largest project is the New Tashkent International Airport, valued at $2.5 billion and scheduled for completion in 2030. Other major initiatives include a new international airport in Bukhara, with an investment of $226 million and planned completion in 2027, as well as the modernization and expansion of Urgench International Airport, valued at $264 million and also targeted for completion in 2027.
The country’s aviation infrastructure program could open additional opportunities for Russian-Uzbek industrial cooperation. Potential areas include the supply of airfield and engineering equipment, power supply and automation systems, cargo terminal equipment, and the development of aircraft maintenance infrastructure.
For international companies in construction, engineering, logistics, interior and exterior manufacturing, and industrial equipment, Uzbekistan’s airport expansion offers access to a multi-year pipeline of infrastructure projects. The simultaneous growth of passenger travel, cargo aviation and transit connectivity may also strengthen the country’s appeal as a regional platform for trade and investment, although project execution and the ability to meet rising infrastructure demand will remain key factors for market entrants.
