United is exploring potential new markets in a part of the world not served by any of its U.S. competitors.
CEO Scott Kirby told the hosts of the Cheeky Pint podcast that global network planning chief Patrick Quayle and his team were recently in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
“We can’t fly there today because we can’t fly over Russia,” he said. “But he’s there. This could work down the road.”
Kirby did not elaborate on plans for the region but cited United’s seasonal service to Nuuk, Greenland, as evidence that unconventional destinations can work.
No U.S. airlines currently fly to Central Asia. Russia’s ban on Western airlines – enacted in the early days of the Russia-Ukraine war – would make the trip uneconomically long.
Historically, there was little demand among American travelers for connections to Central Asia, but that is changing. American arrivals in Uzbekistan, for instance, increased from around 17,000 in 2019 to more than 26,000 in the first seven months of 2026 alone. The newfound interest has been attributed to visa liberalization measures in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, the relative affordability of the region, and trips by travel influencers.
In Kazakhstan, international airlines mainly serve Almaty, the country’s most populous city. In Uzbekistan, the main international gateway is Tashkent.
The only Central Asian carrier with flights to the U.S. is Uzbekistan Airways. The airline serves New York-JFK from Tashkent.
