Site of the 25th UNWTO General Assembly, the Uzbek city of Samarkand has recorded a huge growth as Air Marakanda, the airport operator reports its one millionth passenger, double of the previous year.

Samarkand International Airport’s management company, Air Marakanda, has reported its one millionth passenger for the year 2023.

Air Marakanda says that passenger traffic for 2023 has doubled for the year compared to 495,000 passengers in 2022. The firm says that this ‘milestone’ represents the “booming tourism appeal of Uzbekistan’s second city, but also highlights the successful growth strategy being pursued by the company”.

The statement adds that this ‘record-breaking passenger’ was Tajikistan resident Dilshod Rakhimov who flew to Abu Dhabi on Wizz Air flight 5W7164.

It says that to celebrate the event, Dmitry Martynenko, Air Marakanda’s Commercial Director, presented the millionth passenger with souvenirs and a voucher for the airport’s VIP lounge. Wizz Air also congratulated the passenger and presented him with a voucher covering the cost of a flight to Abu Dhabi.

According to Airports Council International (ACI) Europe, Samarkand International Airport is among its top five member airports in terms of passenger traffic growth. According to results tabulated as of October, Samarkand International Airport took 4th place in the category of regional and small airports.

“Serving our first millionth passenger has capped off a landmark year for our company. We opened new destinations in cooperation with partner airlines, increased the frequency of flights of existing air carriers, and developed Samarkand’s airport infrastructure – all of which led us to the cherished figure of one million. We are especially pleased today to congratulate a record-breaking passenger and end the year with a celebration. We are eager to push our growth trajectory even higher, and I am confident that next year we will achieve even better results,” says Anton Khojayan, CEO of Air Marakanda.

The statement adds that Air Marakanda opened the airport’s architecturally appealing new terminal less than two years ago, after becoming the first private participant in a public/private partnership in aviation in Uzbekistan.

“We are delighted to celebrate one year of operations to Samarkand and our contribution in supporting the airport to reach the significant milestone of one million passengers. Wizz Air has introduced a new era of ultra-low-cost travel to the market, unlocked affordable travel opportunities, and carried more than 100,000 passengers to and from Samarkand. This stands as a testimonial on how we can stimulate more demand through our model by making travel accessible for everyone,” says Johan Eidhagen, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi.

“We are looking forward to doubling our numbers in 2024 by carrying the flag of ultra-low-cost travel into the region and stimulating more demand by unlocking affordable travel opportunities for both residents and visitors of Samarkand,” he adds.