HUMO Air, Uzbekistan’s newly rebranded “affordable” airline, is due to see its first flight take to the skies this week and has just announced the start sales for the first four of its domestic routes.
Countrywide destinations
Connecting the central Asian capital Tashkent to Samarkand in the south east, Karshi in the south, Nukus in the south west, and Urgench in the west, the new low-cost carrier said its daily flights to these country-wide destinations would “transform domestic travel, making it not only more accessible but also more affordable for both Uzbek citizens and international visitors.”
A fleet of 18 Airbus A320s and A321s will eventually serve eight domestic destinations, adding Bukhara, Fergana, Namangan and Termez, to the menu from the Tashkent hub. International destinations in the offing include Almaty, Dubai and Istanbul.
Fleet
For now the Swiss-backed aviation rebrand has taken delivery of one Airbus A320-200, a 16 year-old aircraft previously flown by Fly2Sky and TACA International. A320s have a name for fuel efficiency and UX design – features on which HUMO Air is staking its claim that flying can be “easy, comfortable and affordable for everyone”.
In an October press conference, HUMO said its air fleet would increase to four Airbus A320/321 by the end of the year and that over 100 jobs had already been created. It also confirmed that more than 1000 flights from Tashkent were scheduled over the next three months.
200,000 passengers projected
Ticket sales for the first four routes are now live on HUMO Air’s official website and can also be purchased at airline ticket offices across the country. The carrier expects to serve over 200,000 passengers in its first quarter.
The launch flight, scheduled for 15 December from Tashkent, is supposed to take place amid a ceremony including ribbon-cutting, speeches and corporate goodie bags for the airline’s first flyers.
Economy class for all
That won’t be the case for future passengers though. The low-cost model of operation will mean a full economy-class configuration on all its aircraft. Large items and hold luggage, food and seat selection will all be paid-for add-ons.
HUMO will have to compete in a thriving Uzbek aviation sector which has seen flag carrier Uzbekistan Airways soar, its budget subsidiary Uzbekistan Airways Express, and a flock of aviation startups swoop in.
Air Samarkand is scheduling international flights to China Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, and Vietnam. Centrum Air, meanwhile, is set to grow from three aircraft to 100 by 2026, operating domestic flights to Urgench and international routes to India and the Middle East.
