Uzbek Airways places order for six A320 aircraft with Airbus

Mumbai, June 29 (UNI) Uzbekistan Airways, Uzbekistan's national carrier, has signed a firm order for six Airbus A320 aircraft to enhance its Airbus fleet.

Once the country's national carrier acquires the aircraft, it plans to expand its operation which include flights to Delhi and Amritsar in India.

The announcement was made at a signing ceremony in Tashkent, an Airbus release said today.

The new A320s will replace older aircraft in the framework of Uzbekistan Airways' fleet modernisation programme, reducing fuel consumption and operating costs. However, the engines have yet to be chosen, the release said.

According to the release, the national carrier will place the aircraft on domestic as well as on international routes, including destinations such as Delhi, Amristar and Lahore, as part of a dynamic route expansion plan.

The carrier currently operates scheduled flights to more than 40 cities around the world in the US, Europe, West Asia and Central Asia. Uzbekistan Airways plans to continuously increase the number of destinations in the coming years.

''We constantly aim at improving our service even further, to provide the youngest and most modern fleet and to expand our air transportation network. The Airbus A320 is the ideal aircraft for us to realise our strategy,'' said Uzbekistan Airways General Director Valeriy Tyan.

Uzbekistan Airways National Air Company (NAC) was founded on January 28, 1992, starting out on international routes to London, Delhi, Karachi, Kuala-Lumpur, Tel-Aviv and Beijing, and very quickly growing to connect more than 40 airports worldwide. In recognition of its performance, the airline has already received the International Fund for Aviation Safety Diploma and a Certificate from Airports International Association and ''Euromarket-2000''.

UNI