Uzbekistan's Samarkand International Airport has been recognized the fastest-growing airport in Europe and Central Asia, according to official data cited by Airport Technology and the Airports Council International (ACI).

In 2024, the airport’s ultra-modern terminal handled 1.38 million passengers, marking an impressive 36.6 per cent increase compared to the previous year. The growth rate more than doubled that of the next airport in the ranking - Olbia in Italy - which recorded an 18.4 per cent rise in passenger traffic, The Caspian Post reports via Uzbek media.

Uzbek media report that the transformation of Samarkand Airport became possible thanks to the initiative of entrepreneur and investor Bakhtiyor Fazilov in partnership with the government under Uzbekistan’s first large-scale public-private aviation investment program. Since the opening of the new terminal in early 2022, passenger numbers have shown continuous record growth.

Aircraft takeoffs and landings increased by 23 per cent, while the airport expanded its route network to three domestic and 23 international destinations. New flights were launched to Xi’an (China), Sharm El-Sheikh (Egypt), Turkestan (Kazakhstan), and Russian cities including Tyumen, Nizhny Novgorod, and Irkutsk.

The broader regional context is also positive. Airports across Europe and Central Asia have surpassed pre-pandemic passenger levels, reaching a combined total of 2.5 billion travelers, highlighting a strong recovery in global aviation.