The air corridor west of Pamir is becoming increasingly busy. When the ancient Silk Road is repainted by modern air routes, the aroma of morning tea in Guangzhou and the fireworks of roasted naan in Tashkent no longer face each other across the mountains. The handshake between the two flag carriers has truly rooted the soft connectivity on the cloud.

On July 23, 2026, China Southern Airlines and Uzbekistan Airlines officially signed a codeshare cooperation agreement in Tashkent, marking the substantive implementation stage of their aviation cooperation.

Two way air route interconnection and sharing

According to the cooperation agreement, both parties will mutually open up core routes for code sharing cooperation. The cooperative routes cover the Guangzhou, Beijing Daxing, Urumqi Tashkent routes operated by China Southern Airlines, as well as multiple routes operated by Ukraine Airlines between Tashkent and Guangzhou, Beijing Daxing, Urumqi, Hangzhou, and other destinations. This cooperation effectively expands the route coverage of China Southern Airlines in the Central Asian market, providing more travel options for passengers from China and Ukraine, and greatly improving travel convenience and efficiency.

Both parties join hands to deepen cooperation

Zhang Dongsheng, Deputy Director of the Marketing Management Committee of China Southern Airlines, stated that the airline has long been deeply involved in the Uzbekistan aviation market. The two parties signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation last year, and the implementation of the code sharing agreement this time is a key implementation measure of the cooperation plan. Not only does it help China Southern Airlines improve its layout of Central Asian routes and enrich its aviation product system, but it also continues to empower and increase efficiency for the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt.

Shuhrat Yadgarov, Chairman of the Management Committee of Ukraine Airlines, stated that China is the core strategic market of Ukraine Airlines. Since the opening of the new Tashkent Guangzhou route in May 2026, Ukraine Airlines has continued to increase its capacity on the China Ukraine route. This strong partnership with China Southern Airlines will help it deepen its presence in the Chinese market and open up a new era of deep cooperation in civil aviation between the two countries. Keywords: China Southern Airlines, Ukraine Airlines, route connectivity, Central Asia Airlines, connectivity

Weaving the dense China Ukraine aviation network

Currently, China Southern Airlines is focusing on building dual hubs in Guangzhou and Beijing Daxing, as well as a gateway aviation hub in western Urumqi. Relying on the advantages of the three major hubs, China Southern Airlines has established a complete Tashkent route network, with a peak weekly flight volume of up to 52 flights. This code sharing cooperation further consolidates the foundation of civil aviation connectivity between China and Ukraine, effectively promoting trade, tourism, and cultural exchanges between China and Central Asian countries, and assisting in the deep integration and development of multiple fields in the region.Editor/Gong Ziwei