AKIPRESS.COM - Air Samarkand (Samarkand) obtained its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) from the Uzbek Civil Aviation Agency (UzCAA) on December 27, CH Aviation says.

The start-up has taken a single A330-300, UK33001, which operated a proving flight from Samarkand to Tashkent International and return on December 28. It has yet to announce a launch date for commercial operations.

According to its website, Air Samarkand aims to operate a scheduled passenger network out of Samarkand, covering Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It also plans to take an A321-200 (msn 5936) and an A321-200N (msn 7746) shortly.

The start-up plans to operate a "hybrid business model" focused on developing inbound tourism to Samarkand.