Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 9 October, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was briefed on the presentation for the construction of a new international airport in Bukhara.

Uzbekistan is actively working on the modernization of its airports; this year, airports in Shahrisabz, Kokand, and Zamin have been put into operation, and the modernization of air harbors in Namangan and Andijan has also begun.

Involving the private sector in airport management has yielded positive results. For example, after the Samarkand International Airport was transferred to private management, the number of flights and passenger traffic increased fivefold. A similar potential exists in Bukhara; however, the current airport does not meet the needs of the local population and tourists: it can only serve 400 passengers per hour and 1 million passengers per year.

Outdated flight management and passenger service systems limit the ability to increase the number of flights, leading most foreign tourists to travel to Bukhara via Tashkent, Samarkand, or Urgench.

The hotel network and pilgrimage tourism in Bukhara are actively developing, with plans to increase the tourist flow to 8 million in the next three years.

To this end, construction of the new international airport based on a public-private partnership began on May 31 of this year in the Bukhara district, which will meet international standards. The new airport will be able to accommodate 1,200 passengers per hour and attract new international airlines.

The presentation covered the technical and economic aspects of the project, and the President emphasized the need to double the new airport’s capacity, allowing for the arrival and departure of 8 aircraft per hour.

Recommendations were made to improve the conditions within the terminal, as well as its internal and external appearance.