High prices and ticket shortages on Tashkent–Urgench flights criticized by the President

On May 2, during a meeting chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev focused on the priority tasks for the socio-economic development of the Khorezm region, concerns were raised about the high cost of flights on the Tashkent–Urgench route and the lack of available tickets even a week in advance.

It was noted that 95 percent of domestic flights are currently operated by "Havo Yollari" and "Silk Avia," while the remaining 14 flights are serviced by four local airlines.

The issue, officials explained, stems from the domestic air market being unattractive to private carriers. As a result, most private airlines prefer to operate international routes, leaving little competition in the domestic sector. This lack of competition has led to a shortage of tickets on the Tashkent–Urgench route and inflated airfare prices.

“In such a situation, foreign tourists will not come, and even local tourists may choose to travel to other countries,” the President stated.

In response, government officials were instructed to attract more private companies to the domestic aviation market and to double the number of Tashkent–Urgench flights. Additionally, all resident airlines were tasked with drafting a resolution on subsidizing domestic flight costs.

The President also ordered an increase in train passenger capacity by 1.5 times on weekends through the addition of extra cars to existing trains.

Another issue highlighted during the meeting was the poor condition of the road connecting Karakalpakstan to Khorezm. It was noted that due to inadequate infrastructure, the opportunity to attract an additional 300,000 to 400,000 tourists per year is being lost.

To address this, officials were instructed to begin negotiations with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on the reconstruction of the Urgench–Gurlan–Mangit road. Furthermore, plans were made to secure $75 million from the Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank to repair internal roads linking 10 districts in the region.