Samarkand named one of Europe's fastest growing airports

Sep 05 2024 Travel trends

Samarkand International Airport (SKD) in Uzbekistan has been recognized as one of the fastest growing airports in Europe, with a remarkable surge in passenger numbers. The airport's passenger traffic soared by 158.9% compared to pre-COVID levels, placing it among the top three airports in terms of growth as measured by Airports Council International (ACI) EUROPE.

ACI EUROPE's recognition

ACI EUROPE, which represents over 500 airports across 55 countries, noted that Samarkand's growth is second only to Tirana among medium-size airports. Tirana, the capital of Albania, experienced an impressive 232.3% increase in passenger numbers. Meanwhile, Babimost in western Poland led the small airport category with a growth of 164.6%.

Transition to a medium-size airport

Samarkand's significant increase in traffic has elevated its status to a 'medium' size airport, a step up from its previous 'small' category when it handled less than a million passengers annually. This transition underscores the airport's rapid development and expanding capacity to handle more travelers.

Ulugbek Shamsikulov, the newly appointed CEO of Air Marakanda, attributes this growth to progressive governmental policies and substantial investments in the airport's state-of-the-art facilities. Shamsikulov emphasized that this is just the beginning of their journey to attract more visitors to Samarkand and Uzbekistan, thereby driving economic growth.

"We see significant demand for domestic and international travel from this area and from airlines bringing overseas visitors to explore our incredible ancient city of Samarkand," Shamsikulov stated. "We will continue to grow our network during the summer season, as airlines increase capacity on existing routes and as we open new city connections with Samarkand."

Outpacing average growth rates

Samarkand's passenger growth far exceeds the average figures achieved elsewhere. ACI EUROPE reported a 10.2% increase in March compared to the same month in 2023. The airport's traffic has nearly recovered to pre-pandemic levels, ending just 1.5% below March 2019 figures. For the first quarter of 2024, the numbers are 10.2% higher than the previous year and only 1.3% below Q1 2019.

Despite the broader challenges faced by the aviation industry, Samarkand International Airport is among the 43% of European airports that have shown growth compared to pre-pandemic volumes. It has significantly outperformed the average growth rate of 2.8% for airports in Europe, including those in Albania, Armenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Georgia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

During the autumn-winter period (AWP) season, the airport handled more than 491,000 passengers, marking a 55% increase from the previous year. In the first three months of 2024 alone, 294,000 passengers passed through the airport's modern new terminal, representing a 39% increase compared to the same period in 2023.

Expansion of airline partnerships and routes

The surge in passenger numbers has been accompanied by a significant increase in the number of airlines operating at SKD. New entrants during the 2023/24 AWP season include Red Wings, SunExpress, Humo Air, Ural Airlines, Qazaq Air, and Centrum Air. These new partnerships have introduced routes connecting Samarkand with Izmir, Jeddah, Kazan, Tashkent, and Turkestan.

A notable milestone for SKD was the launch of Air Samarkand, the first carrier to base itself at the airport. Initially starting with a charter flight program, Air Samarkand commenced scheduled services to Istanbul on March 21 and is expected to expand to other new destinations soon.

Samarkand International Airport's exceptional growth is a testament to the strategic investments and policies driving its development. With its modern facilities, expanding network of routes, and increasing number of airline partnerships, SKD is well-positioned to continue its upward trajectory, attracting more visitors and contributing to the economic growth of Samarkand and Uzbekistan.