Air Samarkand operates the first flight between Samarkand and Tel Aviv
May 6, 2025
The first flight to Tel Aviv opened a new weekly service, using an Air Samarkand Airbus A330 aircraft. This departed from Samarkand in Uzbekistan on schedule at 06:00 am and arrived in Tel Aviv five and a half hours later, at 09:25 am local time. The return service departed from Tel Aviv at 11:20 am, arriving back in the historic city of Samarkand at 18:40 pm local time.
Passengers on these inaugural services were treated to a traditional welcome at both airports and were also presented with special gifts and treats.
Air Samarkand has already announced a doubling of route capacity starting from July, with a second return to be operated every Thursday. Services will be operated by Airbus 330 (with 313 seats) or an Airbus A321 (194 seats) according to load factors.
Zafar Butayev, the CEO of Air Samarkand. said “The opening of regular flights to Tel Aviv represents an important step in the development of ties between Uzbekistan and Israel. We are seeing steady interest in this route from tourist, pilgrim and business travellers, and are delighted to confirm a second service starting from July. This will meet growing demand for a convenient and competitive direct service that links our two culturally rich cities and represents another important step forward in the expansion of the Air Samarkand route network,” he said.
The new flights have been accompanied by a number of recent initiatives to strengthen the co-operation between Uzbekistan and Israel across trade, migration, and other social and economic areas.
For travellers from Israel, the new service provides convenient access to Samarkand, the historical centre of the Great Silk Road and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Samarkand is one of the oldest cities in Asia, with its origins said to date back to the seventh or eighth millennium BC. Samarkand is at the heart of Uzbekistan’s ancient and medieval tourist attractions, along with Bukhara, Khiva, Shakhrisabz, and the Zaamin National Park, many of which include historic monuments or areas of outstanding significance and value, with protected status on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The growing economy of Uzbekistan is also of significant interest to Israeli investors and businesses, and the launch of these services is delivering a huge boost to direct business travel.
The new services to Tel Aviv mark the latest element in Air Samarkand’s strategy to expand its international route network. The airline plans to increase the frequency of services to key destinations in 2025, and will add new international destinations. It continues to develop its fleet by investing in modern aircraft and improving customer service to strengthen its position in the Central Asian market.
Air Samarkand began its first scheduled services to Istanbul in March 2024, and subsequently opened services to Abu Dhabi and Al Ain in the UAE, to Jeddah and Medina in Saudi Arabia, Nha Trang and Phú Quốc in Vietnam, and Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt.
Air Samarkand has also begun charter flights to Batumi, Delhi, Dhaka, Dubai, Islamabad, Tbilisi and other cities. The most popular destination is Jeddah, with Air Samarkand operating flights from Samarkand, Bukhara, Fergana, Namangan and Termez.
