Recognizing the growing influence of Uzbekistan’s air transport sector in the region, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced the establishment of a permanent presence in the country. The initiative includes the opening of a new office in Tashkent and a commitment to launch the Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP)—a centralized system for financial transactions between airlines and travel agencies—in Uzbekistan by the end of the year.

The new IATA office and the neutral BSP sales and settlement environment are tasked with providing strategic support to grow air travel in Uzbekistan through boosting aviation safety and operational efficiency.

“With the opening of our office, IATA experts will be more available to assist airlines and airports to implement global standards in safety and operations,” said Rafael Schvartzman, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Europe.

“Importantly, the BSP will give access to airlines to cost-effectively process financial transactions globally while enabling global product distribution. This provides greater opportunity to grow international connectivity,” said Schvartzman.

According to IATA estimates, Aviation in Uzbekistan currently generates some 0.9% of national GDP and creates more than 128,000 jobs.

“With the right government policies in place, there is scope for this contribution to grow substantially. IATA looks forward to being a proactive support in building this future,” the IATA Vice President noted.