Uzbekistan Airways and Lufthansa Technik Mark 30th Anniversary of Cooperation

Sept. 15, 2023

Uzbekistan Airways and Lufthansa Technik look back on 30 years of successful partnership. During this period, Uzbekistan Airways has become the leading airline in Central Asia, recognized for its stable, safe and reliable operations. The anniversary of the long-standing cooperation was recently honored with an official ceremony at the Uzbekistan Airways' home base in Tashkent.

Since the airline added its first Airbus A310-300 to its fleet in 1993, Lufthansa Technik has continuously supported Uzbekistan Airways with reliable technical and engineering services. Parallel to this, Lufthansa Technik has assisted Uzbekistan Airways in establishing and expanding maintenance capacities for its own and regional third-party customers.

"The importance of cooperation with Lufthansa Technik for Uzbekistan Airways is undeniable. The fact that it has been going on for 30 years speaks volumes," said Shukhrat Khudaykulov, the Chairman of the Board of Uzbekistan Airways. "The most basic aircraft maintenance tasks were the start of this journey. Our specialists were trained and provided repair work for western-style aircraft that was new to Uzbekistan. Today, thanks to joint efforts, Uzbekistan Airways has its own largest repair base in the region, the ability to perform almost any work on Airbus and Boeing aircraft and a reliable partner with whom it will continue to develop the aviation sector."

Uzbekistan Airways has consistently modernized its fleet, setting a historic milestone as the first airline in Central Asia to incorporate western-built aircraft. The national carrier operates one of the most modern fleets in the region, featuring Boeing 767, Boeing

787-8 Dreamliner and Airbus A320. As the main principle of the airline's work is flight safety, the importance of high-quality maintenance is unquestionable. Today, the airline's capabilities and the skills of the specialists at Uzbekistan Airways Technics allow to service foreign customers' aircraft at the highest level. Uzbekistan Airways Technics plans to further expand its maintenance network.

In line with this development, Lufthansa Technik has adjusted the scope of its services to Uzbekistan Airways' current needs. While the airline outsourced almost all technical support services to its external partner Lufthansa Technik at the beginning of the cooperation, it has gained increasing experience - from aircraft maintenance to engineering services and aircraft overhauls. In this context, Lufthansa Technik actively supported Uzbekistan Airways in the build-up of technical knowhow. The training helped the airline's staff to obtain international certification and take over line and base maintenance as well as engineering support for their fleets up to the performance of C-Checks.

"Three decades ago, Uzbekistan Airways made a clear decision to entrust us as MRO expert with the responsibility of ensuring the safety and reliability of their newly acquired Airbus and then later Boeing fleet," stated Harald Gloy, Chief Operating Officer at Lufthansa Technik. "Over the years, our collaboration has remained exceptionally strong. We have consistently provided unwavering support to Uzbekistan Airways in their growth journey. We understand ourselves as dedicated partners to our valued customer."

Lufthansa Technik continues to provide a wide array of services for Uzbekistan Airways, including component maintenance and access to the spare parts pool for their entire Airbus and Boeing fleet, services for landing gears as well as for engines if required. From its central warehouse locations in Hamburg and Frankfurt, Lufthansa Technik ensures reliable spare parts logistics, including the supply of materials, for the growing national aviation company of Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan Airways is constantly adding modern aircraft to its fleet. Currently, the airline operates more than 35 Boeing and Airbus aircraft. In 2022, the airline received five Airbus 321neo aircraft and the course has been set for the further expansion of the fleet. The acquisition of new aircraft will help expand the route network and increase the volume of passenger traffic. Lufthansa Technik and Uzbekistan Airways aim to further strengthen their partnership to defend the airline's leading position in the region and enable additional growth.