Uzbekistan is seeking to strengthen its position as a regional aviation and logistics hub as it hosts the third Central Asia–China C5+1 Civil Aviation Working Group Conference in Tashkent on November 3–5, bringing together aviation authorities and airline representatives from six countries to discuss market liberalization, new flight routes and deeper regional connectivity.
The conference comes amid expanding economic relations between China and Central Asia, with bilateral trade between the two sides reaching a record $106.3 billion in 2025, an increase of 12% year over year, according to China's Ministry of Commerce.
The growing volume of trade, investment and tourism is creating additional demand for efficient transportation links, placing civil aviation among the increasingly important areas of regional economic cooperation.
For Uzbekistan, the meeting represents an opportunity to advance its aviation development agenda under the Air Silk Road initiative, strengthen direct connections with Chinese cities and attract additional international carriers to its rapidly developing aviation market.
Air Silk Road becomes a new dimension of regional connectivity
The development of aviation cooperation between China and Central Asia is part of a broader effort to strengthen economic and transportation links under the Belt and Road Initiative.
The foundation for the current cooperation was established on January 24, 2024, when Uzbekistan's Ministry of Transport and China's Civil Aviation Administration signed an agreement on the joint creation of the Air Silk Road. The initiative aims to expand passenger and cargo transportation, liberalize air transport markets, strengthen commercial cooperation and establish a more integrated aviation network connecting China with Central Asian countries.
The first C5+1 civil aviation conference was held in China's Xi'an in June 2024, creating a permanent mechanism for coordinating cooperation between China and Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The second meeting took place in Astana in August 2025, with discussions covering aviation safety, transit integration, professional training, new technologies and the expansion of international routes.
The decision to hold the conferences annually and rotate their hosting among participating countries reflects the growing importance attached to aviation as a component of regional economic integration.
The upcoming meeting in Tashkent is expected to focus on implementing existing agreements and identifying new areas of cooperation, including the harmonization of aviation regulations, market liberalization, joint projects and the expansion of regional flight networks. This approach is particularly relevant given the different levels of aviation market development across Central Asia. Coordinated policies could help reduce administrative barriers, improve operational compatibility and create more favorable conditions for airlines seeking to expand their regional presence.
For China, stronger aviation connections offer additional opportunities to facilitate trade, tourism and investment with a region that is becoming increasingly important in its international economic strategy.
According to China's Ministry of Commerce, trade with the five Central Asian countries exceeded $100 billion for the first time in 2025. Chinese exports to the region reached $71.2 billion, while imports totaled $35.1 billion.
The expansion of commercial relations is also increasing the need for faster transportation of business travelers, technical specialists and high-value goods, creating additional opportunities for the development of air services.
Uzbekistan seeks to capitalize on growing aviation demand
Uzbekistan's efforts to strengthen aviation cooperation with China coincide with significant growth in its domestic air transport market.According to Uzbekistan Airports, the country's airports handled 12.66 million passengers from January through September 2026, up 13% year over year. The number of flights increased 10% to 102,836, while cargo and mail handling rose 27% to 84,800 tonnes. In 2025, the country's airports handled 98,137 tonnes of cargo and mail, a 12% increase from the previous year.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has identified transforming Uzbekistan into an international aviation hub as a strategic objective. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new international airport in the Tashkent region on October 15, 2025, he outlined the country's ambition to strengthen its global connectivity.
"Ultimately, our goal is to turn Uzbekistan into a major aviation hub connecting East and West, North and South," Mirziyoyev said.
He also announced plans to increase the national aircraft fleet to 180, expand the number of routes to 230 and raise annual domestic and international flight volumes to 200,000 over the following five years.
These targets provide a strategic framework for Uzbekistan's participation in the Air Silk Road initiative, with stronger connections to China and other Central Asian countries expected to contribute to the expansion of its international aviation network.
The expansion of direct connections with China is particularly important as bilateral tourism and business exchanges continue to grow. China Eastern Airlines entered the Uzbek market in July 2025 with regular Xi'an–Tashkent flights and subsequently launched the Shanghai–Tashkent route on March 30, 2026. The latter operates four times a week using Airbus A330 aircraft.
Chinese carrier Loong Air also operates scheduled services connecting Xi'an and Chengdu with Tashkent, as well as Xi'an with Samarkand.
The growing route network is supported by increasing tourist flows. More than 278,900 Chinese citizens visited Uzbekistan in 2025, while 223,500 visitors arrived during the first six months of 2026 alone, according to Uzbekistan's Tourism Committee. These figures indicate that the development of direct air services is responding to existing demand for travel rather than relying exclusively on anticipated future growth.
The expansion of aviation links also supports Uzbekistan's broader tourism development strategy, which seeks to attract more international visitors to Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and other destinations.
In this context, the development of direct connections between Chinese cities and regional Uzbek airports could help diversify international passenger flows, reduce reliance on Tashkent as the primary entry point and increase economic activity outside the capital.
The government's efforts to improve the country's international connectivity are also consistent with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's broader economic modernization agenda, which emphasizes attracting foreign investment, expanding tourism and strengthening Uzbekistan's role in international transportation networks.
Liberalization could reshape the regional aviation market
Market liberalization is expected to be another key topic at the Tashkent conference, as reducing regulatory barriers could boost competition, lower ticket prices and expand international flight networks.
Currently, regional aviation is shaped by bilateral air service agreements, flight-frequency restrictions and differences in national regulations. Easing these constraints could allow airlines to introduce new routes, increase flight frequencies and improve connectivity across Central Asia.
Kazakhstan's experience offers an example of this approach. During the first C5+1 conference in Xi'an in 2024, Kazakhstan and China agreed to expand flight frequencies and introduce additional opportunities for international operations, including fifth-freedom traffic rights. These rights allow airlines to transport passengers or cargo between two foreign countries as part of a route connecting them with their home country.
For Uzbekistan, further liberalization could attract more Chinese carriers, strengthen competition and expand access to international destinations. However, its success will depend on harmonizing aviation standards, simplifying regulatory procedures and ensuring that new routes remain commercially viable.
Ultimately, closer regulatory coordination could help transform Central Asia's fragmented aviation market into a more integrated regional network.
Air cargo offers another dimension of cooperation
Beyond passenger services, air cargo could become an important driver of China–Central Asia cooperation as expanding trade increases demand for faster transportation of high-value and time-sensitive goods, including electronics, pharmaceuticals, industrial components and perishable agricultural products.
For Uzbekistan, stronger air cargo connections could improve exporters' access to international markets and strengthen the country's role in regional supply chains. However, this will require investment in cargo terminals, specialized storage facilities, customs infrastructure and airport logistics.
Integrating air transportation with existing railway and road networks will also be essential. Rather than replacing established transport corridors, the Air Silk Road could complement them by providing faster delivery options and strengthening Uzbekistan's multimodal connectivity with China, Central Asia and markets farther west.
Outlook: From bilateral agreements to regional integration
The third C5+1 Civil Aviation Working Group Conference in Tashkent comes at a time when China–Central Asia economic relations are expanding and regional governments are placing greater emphasis on transportation connectivity.
For Uzbekistan, the meeting provides an opportunity to strengthen its cooperation with China while advancing its broader objective of becoming a more important regional transport and logistics center. The country's growing passenger traffic, expanding network of direct flights to Chinese cities and rising number of Chinese visitors provide a foundation for further aviation development.
The Air Silk Road's long-term success will depend on participating countries' ability to translate commitments into tangible results, including new routes, increased flight frequencies, stronger airline partnerships, expanded cargo operations and harmonized aviation regulations.
Stronger air links between China and Central Asia could also create additional opportunities for connections with the South Caucasus, the Middle East and European markets, particularly when integrated with existing land-based transport corridors.
For Uzbekistan, this presents an opportunity to leverage its geographical position and ongoing economic reforms to attract investment, strengthen international business connections and increase the contribution of transportation and tourism to economic growth.
Ultimately, the development of an integrated regional aviation network will depend on coordinated policies, infrastructure modernization and a competitive operating environment across participating countries.
