An Uzbek airline known as Qanot Sharq is set to become the first in Central Asia to receive Airbus A321XLR
and Airbus A321LR
aircraft. When will the carrier receive the planes and to where will they be flown?
Photo: Airbus
Leasing new aircraft in the coming years
On February 18, one of the world’s largest aircraft leasing companies, the Air Lease Corporation (ALC), announced a long-term lease agreement with Uzbek carrier Qanot Sharq for a total of five A321neo variants comprising three A321XLR and two A321LR aircraft.
According to the Air Lease Corporation, the aircraft are scheduled to be delivered to the Central Asian airline between 2026 and 2027 after the leasing company receives the aircraft fresh from Airbus
. However, as the Air Lease Corporation notes, these dates are subject to change. AJ Abedin, the Senior Vice President of Marketing at the Air Lease Corporation, is excited about the new deal, and states that:
“We are pleased to further strenghten our partnership with Qanot Sharq and support the airline’s continued growth with the addition of five new Airbus A321neo LR/XLR aircraft. (…) As the airline successfully executes its expansion, these new A321neo jets will enhance its network reach while delivering exceptional performance, range, and fuel efficiency, enabling the airline to provide high quality service to the Uzbek market.”
The owner of Qanot Sharq Airlines, Nosir Abdugafarov shared this positive sentiment, explaining:
“We are excited to expand our partnership with Air Lease and take a significant step forward in expanding our fleet with these new Airbus A321neo LR and XLR aircraft. (…) These state-of-the-art aircraft will allow us to open new routes, improve fuel efficiency, and provide an enhanced travel experience for our passengers. As Uzbekistan’s first private airline, we are dedicated to growth and innovation, and this agreement represents a key milestone in our long-term vision to expand our destination network while maintaining our commitment to exceptional service.”
Even though the airline is set to receive these new aircraft in just one to two years, Qanot Sharq has not yet announced any plans for the layout of their new leased aircraft. It’s not known whether features such as IFE or WiFi will be present on the planes.
![A321neo PW AIRBUS IN FLIGHT (1)-2]()
Uzbekistan’s first private airline
Uzbekistan’s first private airlineQanot Sharq Airlines (often shortened to just Qanot Sharq) was founded in the late 1990s as a direct competitor to the flag carrier of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Airways
. In the years following its founding, the fully privately owned carrier has seen success in expanding to multiple destinations across Europe, Russia, Asia, and the Middle East.
Currently, the airline has a hub at Tashkent
International Airport, the largest and busiest airport in Uzbekistan, with smaller focus airports being Samarkand and Bukhara, the third and ninth largest cities in the Central Asian country respectively.
Photo: Telsek | Shutterstock
As of February 2024, Qanot Sharq operates a fleet of seven aircraft comprising four fully owned and Uzbek-registered Airbus A320
and Airbus A321
aircraft as well as three leased Airbus A330-200
jets that fly to high-demand destinations. Two of the airline’s A330s are leased from the Air Lease Corporation, while the other is leased from Turkish leisure carrier Southwind Airlines.
The Qanot Sharq route network is quite diverse, with the carrier offering flights to far-flung destinations such as Seoul
South Korea and Phuket
Thailand with its A321s and A330s. This on top a multitude of destinations in the Middle East.
In spite of the Russian invasion of Ukraine (and Western airlines’ subsequent boycott of flights to Russia), Qanot Sharq continues to operate multiple flights per day to Saint Petersburg and Moscow, as the country remains Uzbekistan’s largest market for international jet travel. Despite its connection to Russia, the carrier has continued to grow in recent years, adding multiple seasonal flights to destinations such as Prague and Madrid in Europe.
