(Photo: China Southern Airlines)

China Southern Airlines has launched a new direct route between Guangzhou and Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, as travel demand between China and Central Asia continues to rise. The inaugural flight, CZ3053, departed Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport at 7:52 pm on June 30, carrying 230 passengers.

The move comes as China and Uzbekistan deepen diplomatic and economic cooperation, marked by a mutual visa exemption policy and the 33rd anniversary of bilateral ties. China is now Uzbekistan’s largest trading partner and one of its top sources of investment.

On June 1, 2025, China and Uzbekistan implemented a mutual visa-free travel policy for ordinary passport holders, allowing stays of up to 30 days per visit. Since then, passenger traffic between the two countries on China Southern flights has surged, rising nearly 40% year-on-year in June.

The new Guangzhou-Tashkent direct service will operate three times a week using Airbus A330-300 wide-body aircraft. Outbound flights depart Guangzhou on Mondays, Fridays, and Sundays, arriving in Tashkent after roughly 7 hours. Return flights operate on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays.

China Southern currently operates direct flights to Tashkent from Beijing Daxing and Urumqi, as well as a route from Urumqi to Samarkand, Uzbekistan’s second-largest city. With the addition of the new Guangzhou-Tashkent route, the airline will offer four routes to Uzbekistan, with up to 18 round-trip flights per week during peak travel periods.