The Airbus A321 NEO aircraft are a new type of aircraft for Uzbekistan Airways and will allow the airline to expand routes to Europe and Southeast Asia.

"Uzbekistan Airways has set itself an ambitious goal - to become the leader of air transportation in the Central Asian region. It is planned to continuously expand the route network, increase the number of flights and their effective performance on new Airbus A320/A321 NEO family aircraft. This type of aircraft will provide the necessary conditions for a comfortable flight and a pleasant journey. We will undoubtedly achieve all these goals by receiving a new aircraft from SMBC Aviation Capital," said Shukhrat Khudaikulov, Chairman of the Board of Uzbekistan Airways.

"We are pleased to welcome Uzbekistan Airways as a new client of SMBC Aviation Capital and look forward to many years of successful cooperation. New technological and economical models of A321 NEO aircraft will help Uzbekistan Airways expand its route network in Southeast Asia and Europe," said Conor Stafford, Head of Aviation Marketing, SMBC Aviation Capital.

For reference: SMBC Aviation Capital, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the world's largest aircraft lessors. SMBC Aviation Capital has a high-quality global airline customer base with a portfolio consisting of 83% narrow-body aircraft and 66% new technology aircraft (at net book value). SMBC Aviation Capital has a fleet of more than 1,000 aircraft owned, managed and committed, has a strong capital position and has A- and BBB+ ratings from S&P and Fitch, respectively, reflecting the long-term sustainability of its business.