Uzbekistan Airways adjusts routes to Europe bypassing Russia's airspace
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28 January
22017December 2024 and January 2025 have been marked by a series of aviation-related incidents, prompting renewed discussions on flight safety worldwide. The crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Kazakhstan and multiple unsuccessful landings by various aircraft have heightened concerns across the aviation industry.
Against this backdrop, Uzbekistan Airways, the country’s largest airline, has reassessed its approach to airspace safety. At a press conference on January 28, QALAMPIR.UZ posed a critical question to the airline's leadership: How does Uzbekistan Airways evaluate global air safety?
Shukhrat Khudoykulov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Uzbekistan Airways, provided insight into the airline’s safety measures:
"Airspace conditions are constantly evolving. In aviation, we have a system called NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions), which instantly notifies all airlines about any hazardous zones. No airline can simply put passengers on a plane and take off without an approved flight plan. If a certain area is deemed unsafe, it is immediately restricted for flights.
Ukraine’s airspace and several regions of Russia, including Krasnodar Krai and Rostov, are currently classified as high-risk zones. As a result, Uzbekistan Airways has completely avoided these areas.
There are specific airspaces worldwide that airlines are prohibited from entering due to military or security concerns. For instance, certain regions of China are off-limits due to military secrecy. Airspace safety is dynamic—it can change at any time. However, at present, Uzbekistan Airways is operating only in designated safe zones," Khudoykulov emphasized.
Due to ongoing geopolitical developments, several international organizations have deemed Russian airspace unsafe. In response, Uzbekistan Airways has officially suspended flights over Russia when traveling to European destinations, the airline announced.
To ensure passenger safety, Uzbekistan Airways has revised its flight routes to Europe, now primarily operating through Turkey and Azerbaijan.
"Russia has Rosaviatsia, Europe has EASA, and America has the FAA. Following discussions with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), we have completely restructured our flight paths to European cities. Previously, our flights passed through Russian airspace, but as of January 20, routes now include Germany, Istanbul, Bahrain, and China," explained Shukhrat Khudoykulov, Chairman of the Board of Uzbekistan Airways.
This change has extended flight times by 30 to 40 minutes, leading to higher operational costs for the airline. However, Khudoykulov emphasized that ticket prices will remain unchanged, as the company has absorbed these additional expenses.
"This is a force majeure situation, and we do not believe passengers should bear the cost," he stated.
Uzbekistan Airways has enhanced its airspace monitoring capabilities, analyzing the safety of each country’s skies before determining flight paths. A senior airline official, while showcasing the airline’s control room, highlighted the real-time surveillance of global airspace.
"Look at Ukraine—there isn’t a single plane flying over it. Syria and Iraq are also marked as red zones. Our controllers work 24/7 to assess flight safety and track aircraft movement worldwide," the First Deputy Chairman of the Board of Uzbekistan Airways explained.
Despite the recent Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan and calls from Uzbek MP Alisher Kadyrov to reassess security concerns related to Russia, Uzbekistan Airways has not suspended flights to and from Russia. This raises questions about the airline’s stance on safety in Russian airspace.
The QALAMPIR.UZ video report provides insights into these concerns, offering an in-depth analysis of Uzbekistan Airways' decision-making process regarding its continued operations with Russia.
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