Uzbekistan Airways

Uzbekistan Airways

One noticeable trend is that ethnic ties are represented by the many connections between Central Asia and Turkic centers of the former USSR like Ufa, Kazan, Baku, and Simferopol, as well as by external Turkic centers like Urumqi and Istanbul. It is also worth noting that locations of large diaspora populations, such as New York and Tel-Aviv, are also destinations for the airline. One can make the argument that demand for flights is not always domestic and diaspora populations can influence flights in either direction. Yet, while a place like Seoul could be indicative of an interest in the Korean-Uzbekistani population, such a flight is more likely driven by significant South Korean investment in Central Asia. In this way, the route has cultural benefits but an economic driver.