Air Marakanda, operator of Samarkand International Airport (SKD), has a new Chief Executive Officer at the controls – Ulugbek Shamsikulov! The veteran aviation professional takes charge as the ultra-modern airport cruises through a period of rapid growth and expansion.
Leadership Transition
Ulugbek Shamsikulov takes over from Anton Khojayan, who departs for a new role spearheading a state aviation project. The incoming CEO acknowledges his predecessor’s « excellent leadership » and the « significant contribution » he made in transforming SKD, including overseeing the construction of the airport’s stunning new terminal facility.
« I look forward to continuing our strategic vision to grow the airport’s route network and further enhance the quality of service enjoyed by passengers, » says Ulugbek Shamsikulov.
Seasoned Aviation Veteran
Ulugbek Shamsikulov brings over three decades of wide-ranging aviation experience to his new position. He started his career as an engineer at SKD’s Department of Development and Foreign Economic Relations. After steadily rising through the ranks, he was appointed airport director in 2013 before departing in 2017 for another role. However, he returned a year later to head up the airport’s emergency services team and has most recently led airside ground operations.
Aviation Milestone
SKD’s new international terminal, the first major airport project in Uzbekistan developed under a public-private partnership model, opened to grand fanfare in early 2022. The state-of-the-art facility immediately delivered on its promise, doubling passenger traffic in each of its first two years of operations and crossing the one million annual passenger mark in 2023.
Soaring Growth
The ultra-modern terminal has continued its stellar performance into 2024, handling 294,000 passengers in the opening quarter alone (up a robust 39% compared to the same period in 2023). This fed into an overall 55% year-on-year surge for the autumn-winter period ending 30 March, with 491,000 passengers transiting through SKD.
Route Expansion Fuels Rise
This dramatic upswing in traffic has been propelled by an influx of new carriers launching first-time routes into Samarkand. These include Centrum Air, Humo Air, Qazaq Air, Red Wings, SunExpress and Ural Airlines, which have launched new links from cities such as Izmir, Jeddah, Kazan, Tashkent, Turkestan and Yekaterinburg.
Air Samarkand, the first airline to establish its home base at SKD, also commenced operations with an initial charter program and the launch of a scheduled twice-weekly service to Istanbul every Monday and Thursday.
Passenger Perks
Within the sparkling new terminal, members of the international loyalty program DragonPass can now access the CIP business lounge on their day of departure. This facility has also been integrated with Mile-On-Air’s ONPASS loyalty program, creating more seamless benefits for frequent flyers.
An exciting new era is undoubtedly underway for Samarkand International Airport under the stewardship of Shamsikulov. With his profound experience and the airport’s powerful growth trajectory, SKD seems destined for even greater heights.
