
Qanot Sharq takes off again
On August 16, 2021, the time had come. The Uzbek airline Qanot Sharq took off again after a nine-year slumber. The first private Uzbek airline was founded in 1998 under the rather special name Qanot Sharq. At that time, it used an Illyushin Il76 cargo aircraft from Uzbekistan Airways. But success did not really materialize, so in 2012 the doors were closed and the AOC was returned. But seven years later, the name Qanot Sharq resurfaced. At the MAKS Air Show in Moscow, the founder, Nosir Abdugafforov, signed a letter of intent for three Sukhoi SSJ100s. After that, things quieted down again for this airline and the letter of intent was never converted into an effective order. But in the middle of the Corona crisis, the name Qanot Sharq resurfaced. At the beginning of the year, two used Airbus A320-200s were secured from the American leasing company Air Lease Corporation. These were then transferred to Uzbekistan in April and May 2021. On July 7, 2021, Qanot Sharq received its own AOC and was able to take off again with the two Airbuses on August 16, 2021. The first flight was from Tashkent to the Uzbek city of Samarkand, known for its mosques and mausoleums. The airline unfortunately did not respond to our requests for confirmation of the start of operations until the publication of this report. The two aircraft are no strangers in Central Europe. The aircraft, now registered as UK32030, flew for Air Berlin between 2005 and 2011, while the second aircraft with the registration number UK32031 flew for Air Berlin between 2007 and