Direct flights between Hong Kong and Uzbekistan to launch this year, sources say
Direct flights between Hong Kong and Tashkent to start as talks begin on reciprocal 30-day visa-free stay agreement to boost trade, tourism and regional ties
Uzbekistan plans to launch direct flights to Hong Kong this year, with details being finalised with local authorities, the South China Morning Post has learned, in a move to strengthen ties between Central Asia and the city.
The new route follows close on the heels of a plan by Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways to launch a service to Almaty in Kazakhstan in the first quarter of next year, which was one of the outcomes of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s official visit to the region.
Multiple sources told the SCMP on Thursday that an airline plans to launch a direct service between Hong Kong and Tashkent as early as this year, with authorities currently in discussion to finalise the details.
The route is expected to benefit from the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project, which will connect China with Europe via Central Asia and is set to be completed by 2030.
Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung, a member of the key decision-making Executive Council, welcomed the development, saying it would boost business ties.
“Where there is flow of personnel, there is money flow,” he said.