This Unusual Airline Begins New 8-Hour Airbus A321neo Flights To Europe's 10th Busiest Airport

On December 15, London Gatwick welcomed the Uzbek carrier Qanot Sharq. It became the second airline to operate between Tashkent and London, joining Uzbekistan Airways. The Uzbek market is growing, including because of inbound tourism. And like Kazakhstan, it uses its great geographic position between east and west. Next year, Centrum Air will begin Tashkent-Manchester flights.

In 2026, Gatwick will gain various new and returning operators. They include Air Arabia from Sharjah, Air France from Paris CDG, Condor from Frankfurt, and—by far the most significant—Jet2’s new base with five stationed aircraft.

Qanot Sharq Begins UK Flights

In the 12 months to October 2025, booking data shows that Tashkent to London had about 59,000 round-trip passengers. Nearly half of the market connected en route, particularly in Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, as Moscow remains out of bounds due to sanctions. However, there is now more choice among nonstop operators, with the launch of twice-weekly Gatwick flights by the little-discussed Qanot Sharq.

According to ch-aviation, the Uzbek operator’s fleet currently consists of six aircraft: two A320ceos, two A321neos, and two A330-200s. A321LRs and A321XLRs are coming. For now, at least, it deploys the Airbus A321neo to Gatwick. Flightradar24 shows that it used the 3.1-year-old UK32110 on its first round-trip service, with this frame having 202 seats.

At 2,844 nautical miles (5,267 km), the new route has become the carrier’s longest link, overtaking Tashkent-Busan. Combined with the non-LR being used and with a relatively high-capacity layout, which increases weight and reduces range, it is likely to have a payload restriction—assuming, of course, that flights are sufficiently full to warrant it.

The UK Will Have A Record 4 Routes To Uzbekistan Next Year

For now, the country pair has nonstop flights by two airlines: Qanot Sharq and Uzbekistan Airways. It is the first time that the UK has had two passenger carriers with nonstop Tashkent flights. Moreover, it is the second time in almost two decades that two airlines have served the market at all. Uzbekistan Airways previously coexisted with British Mediterranean (BMED), which operated via Yerevan/Tbilisi until 2006 using the A320ceo/A321ceo.

History will be made again soon. Seemingly on March 30, but subject to change, a third carrier, Centrum Air, will begin operating to the UK. And it’ll fly from Tashkent to Manchester (twice-weekly), becoming Uzbekistan’s—and Central Asia’s—only UK operation outside the capital. While the route appears on Centrum Air’s website, it is not currently bookable. It’s a minuscule existing market.

It will join Uzbekistan Airways from Tashkent to Heathrow (twice-weekly A321neo/787-8) and Gatwick (weekly, mainly A321neo, but occasionally the A320neo and 787-8), and Qanot Sharq to Gatwick (twice-weekly A321neo). Uzbekistan Airways launched Gatwick service in April 2024. And despite the distance, it does indeed occasionally use the A320neo. According to Cirium Diio data, it’ll next be used on December 28, then January 25, February 1, and February 8.

Tashkent’s Top International Market Is…

With approximately 700,000 round-trip local passengers in the 12 months to October, Moscow was—unsurprisingly—the largest international market involving the Uzbek capital. It far exceeded places like Istanbul (455,000), Dubai (249,000), and Seoul (225,000). In Western Europe, Frankfurt was first (66,000).

In 2026, Tashkent will have up to 11 daily flights to Moscow, with service to Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, and Vnukovo. Multiple airlines operate, including Aeroflot, Centrum Air, Qanot Sharq, Utair, and Uzbekistan Airways. With 30% of the flights, widebody equipment (the 767 and 787) remains commonplace. However, the use of twin-aisle aircraft has more than halved in the past two decades.