Airports • 13 January, 2026

Samarkand International Airport: reaching for the stars

Samarkand has always looked to the sky – from Ulugh Beg’s observatory to today’s air routes. The new international airport terminal continues this tradition with science-inspired architecture, future-ready technologies and routes connecting the ancient city to the world. Here, the journey begins even before takeoff.

Samarkand International Airport is the second busiest airport in Uzbekistan after Tashkent.

New International Terminal

- Commissioned: 2022;
- Total area: over 40,000 m²;
- Current passenger traffic (2025): more than 1.5 million passengers;
- Distance from city center: approximately 8 km.

The terminal building is designed in the shape of an open book, symbolizing the great scholar Mirzo Ulugh Beg’s work “The New Astronomical Tables of the Guraganid Era.”

A special highlight for arriving and departing passengers is the illuminated constellations on the terminal roof, visible in the evening and at night. Can you recognize them?

For the third consecutive year, Samarkand International Airport has ranked among the top ten regional airports in Central Asia according to the World Airport Awards (SKYTRAX).

Terminal Facilities

- 29 check-in counters;
- 8 boarding gates;
- 4 passenger boarding bridges;
- 6 E-gates for automated passport control, allowing passengers to pass border control without officer assistance;
- Duty Free shops.

VIP and CIP Lounges

The CIP lounge for international departures is designed as an open-space area, offering panoramic views from the highest level of the terminal.

The two-level VIP lounge allows direct vehicle access to the entrance and provides personalized services, private passport and customs control, individual boarding access and dedicated transfer to the aircraft.

Airport Management

Air Marakanda is the first private company in the history of Uzbek aviation to operate an international airport under a public-private partnership model.

Airport Mascot

Meet Barsik, a full-fledged team member and the airport’s mascot. The winged snow leopard is also the main symbol of Air Marakanda.

Aviation Spotting

Official plane-spotting events are held twice a year, welcoming professional spotters and aviation enthusiasts.

Regular Centrum Air Flights from Samarkand

- Moscow (Domodedovo);
- Saint Petersburg;
- Kazan;
- Vladivostok;
- Sochi;
- Khabarovsk;
- Istanbul;
- Tel Aviv.

We thank Samarkand International Airport for their assistance in preparing this material.