Air Samarkand started its scheduled flight programme on 21 March, operating on the Samarkand – Istanbul – Samarkand route with its Airbus A321neo aircraft. In the initial phase, return services will operate twice a week, departing on Mondays and Thursdays from Samarkand International Airport (SKD) to Istanbul International Airport (IST), with a scheduled flight time of about five hours.
Air Samarkand has also announced the appointment of Zafar Butaev as its new CEO, succeeding Anton Khodiayan, who will continue serving as an advisor to the airline while reverting to his position as Director General of the airport management company Air Marakanda.
Istanbul is one of the most sought-after destinations from Samarkand, connecting the largest city in Turkey with Uzbekistan through centuries-old cultural, business and tourism ties. Istanbul airport also offers extensive onward travel opportunities to cities worldwide, and Air Samarkand plans to add further flight options on the city pairing in the near future.
Departures from Samarkand are scheduled for 8am, arriving in Istanbul at 11.10am, with return services departing from Istanbul at 12:30 pm and arriving back in Samarkand at 7:00 pm (all are local times).
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