Uzbekistan Airways opens reservations of flights to Goa 

Uzbekistani carrier Uzbekistan Airways has opened reservations of flights to Goa – Manohar International Airport, Mopa for winter schedule. The airline will operate twice a week service with the A320neo fromTashkent’s Islam Karimov International Airport to Goa’s Manohar International Airport. This will be the third destination in India for the airline, as it already serves Delhi and Mumbai from Tashkent.

Flights will operate as below

Sundays:

Wednesdays:

HY429 TAS0750 – 1245GOX
HY430 GOX1405 – 1800TAS

The airline will deploy the A320neo for this twice a week service. The aircraft will have dual class – Business and Economy, with 12 business and 138 economy seats on offer.

The route and traffic

Uzbekistan as a country has been advancing rapidly in recent years. The economic progress has come due to increased integration with the world and moving away from the closed economy which existed until 2016 when the first president of the country was in office. Better incomes have led to the locals exploring foreign destinations to visit and following the Russians who visit the sunny beaches in winter. Tashkent airport is the largest airport in Uzbekistan and is named after the first president Islam Karimov. It acts as a hub for Uzbekistan Airways and is also its main base. 

The Manohar International Airport at Goa is operated by GMR Group and was operationalised in January 2023 with an annual capacity of 4.4 million which it hit in its first financial year of full operations. The airport is currently under expansion. The new point, especially international – means a lot for the airport since the Navy operated Dabolim airport also remains operational in Goa. Currently, Air India;s flight to London Gatwick, Oman Air to Muscat and Qatar Airways to Doha have shifted operations to the new airport at Mopa.

Goa was a favourite place for Russians until a few years ago. It also attracted charters from the United Kingdom. Over the years, this market has shifted for various reasons. Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia have become more popular and also better priced. Goa has also been reeling under over tourism in some parts if not all. The overall charter business has not grown as expected, in line with the dip in foreigner arrivals in India post COVID.

Network Thoughts

This flight of Uzbekistan Airways will cater specifically to Uzbekis planning to travel out on a holiday and explore Goa. The twice a week service works well for leisure travellers who spend three, four or seven days in sunshine when the weather in Uzbekistan can be chilly. 

The airline has a fleet of over 40 aircraft, which includes 10 A320neos. While earlier Uzbekistan was the only carrier in the country, that is no more the case with private carriers being allowed to operate in some form or another. Competition is just round the corner and it makes sense for Uzbekistan Airways to expand its horizons. During COVID, the airline also started a brand within itself named Uzbekistan Express – a hybrid offering. 
With travel agency deals and bulk bookings, volumes can work well for twice a week operations. Uzbekistan Airways had a monopoly on the India – Uzbekistan route until IndiGo entered the Delhi – Tashkent market, which it will soon fly as Daily operations. Uzbekistan Airways already flies to Mumbai, where it wants to offer a service to tourists and some transit passengers. With Goa, it would cater largely to the Uzbeki market.

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