Uzbekistan Seeks Tourism Boost Through New Tashkent Airport and New/Rebuilt Regional Ones

Why It Matters

The infrastructure push could unlock higher tourism revenues and reshape air connectivity for Central Asia, giving Uzbekistan strategic leverage in the CIS travel market.

Key Takeaways

• New Tashkent airport planned for 20 million passengers annually
• 13 regional airports to be built or upgraded via PPPs
• Consortium includes Korea’s IIAC, Japan’s Sojitz, Saudi Invest Vision
• Uzbekistan aims to become primary CIS air hub despite competition
• Private‑sector participation rising across CIS airport projects

Pulse Analysis

Uzbekistan is betting on aviation to lift its post‑pandemic tourism surge. A brand‑new international airport in Tashkent, designed for 20 million passengers a year—double the current capacity—will sit alongside a PPP‑driven programme to build or modernise 13 regional airports. The project is backed by a consortium that blends Korea’s Incheon International Airport Corp., Japan’s Sojitz, and Saudi‑based Invest Vision, signaling confidence that the country can marshal world‑class expertise and capital. By expanding runway infrastructure and terminal space, the government hopes to translate its “Silk Road” heritage into higher visitor numbers and longer stays.

The hub ambition places Tashkent against entrenched players such as Dubai and Istanbul, but Uzbekistan’s realistic edge lies in serving the 100‑plus‑million‑person CIS market. A stronger national carrier fleet, led by Uzbekistan Airways and the more aggressive Qanot Sharq, could feed traffic into the new hub, yet limited alliance memberships constrain seamless connections. If the airline consortium can accelerate route development, Tashkent may capture origin‑and‑destination demand from neighboring Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, turning the city into a first‑mover advantage for regional transit.

Uzbekistan’s plan mirrors a wider wave of airport privatisation across the CIS and West Asia, where state‑owned facilities are opening to foreign capital. Azerbaijan’s Baku airport, still fully state‑run, is already eyeing a new terminal, while Kazakhstan eyes a Eurasian air‑land hub to complement its Belt‑Road ambitions. The involvement of Korean, Japanese and Saudi investors in Tashkent signals that private‑sector expertise is becoming a catalyst for modernising legacy Soviet‑era infrastructure. Success could spur further PPP deals, deepen tourism links, and reinforce Central Asia’s role in the emerging trans‑Eurasian travel corridor.