Flyone Asia becomes first in Uzbekistan to operate GTF-powered aircraft
LCC added the first Airbus A321neo to its fleet
Uzbek carrier Flyone Asia has announced the delivery of its first Airbus A321neo narrowbody aircraft. The one-year-old jet (msn 12330) was previously operated by the defunct US ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines and leased from Jackson Square Aviation.
The aircraft (registered as UK32127) is powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1100G Geared Turbofan (GTF) engines. Prior to this, the Air Astana Group—Kazakhstan’s flag carrier group—was the sole operator of GTF-powered A320neo-family aircraft in Central Asia.
In Uzbekistan, airlines such as Uzbekistan Airways, Centrum Air, and Qanot Sharq operate A320neo-family aircraft (A320neo/A321neo) exclusively equipped with CFM International LEAP-1A engines. This choice was driven by the higher reliability demonstrated by LEAP-1A engines compared to the PW1100G.
According to data from Lufthansa Consulting, as of early this year, 36% of the global PW1100G-powered A320neo-family fleet (630 aircraft) was grounded. In contrast, engine-related issues grounded only 5% of the LEAP-1A-powered A320neo-family fleet (150 aircraft).
Air Astana noted that in 2025, it was forced to perform 22 unscheduled PW1100G engine removals due to design defects and powdered metal issues. This resulted in the grounding of 13 A320neo-family aircraft during peak travel periods and impacted net profit. While the group noted improvements with these engines this year, it expects MRO supply chain bottlenecks to persist through 2028.
Flyone Asia previously announced expectations to receive two A321neo aircraft; the second jet is currently undergoing repainting. Prior to this delivery, the Uzbek carrier’s fleet consisted of a single owned Airbus A320ceo (UK32080), supplemented by A320-family aircraft wet-leased from other airlines within the international Flyone group.
