flydubai, the Dubai-based airline, announced the launch of flights to Samarkand in Uzbekistan from 20 September with a twice-weekly service. With the addition of flights to Samarkand, flydubai grows its operations in the market to two points including the capital, Tashkent.

Flights to Samarkand International Airport (SKD) will operate from Terminal 3 at Dubai International (DXB) on Tuesdays and Fridays. With the launch of operations to Samarkand, flydubai grows its network to 102 destinations served by a fleet of 65 Boeing 737 aircraft, giving passengers from the UAE and the region more reliable and convenient options for travel.

Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer at flydubai, said: “We started our operations to Uzbekistan in 2019 and we were pleased to see the market grow as the demand for travel returned. With a combined frequency of eight flights a week to Samarkand and Tashkent, we look forward to further supporting the trade and cultural links with the UAE and encouraging more people to visit this beautiful country steeped in history and tradition.”

As one of the most ancient cities in the world, Samarkand is believed to be as old as Rome and Athens and an important centre of human civilisation. This culturally rich city was an important crossroad on the Silk Road and is now included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Samarkand is home to many unique monuments including the Registan Mosque and madrasas, Bibi-Khanum Mosque, the Shakhi-Zinda compound and the Gur-Emir ensemble, as well as Ulugh-Beg’s Observatory.

flydubai operates flights to six destinations in Central Asia including Almaty and Nur-Sultan in Kazakhstan, Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan, Dushanbe in Tajikistan as well as Samarkand and Tashkent in Uzbekistan.