Summary
- Uzbekistan Airways has introduced its first Let 410 aircraft, a rare 19-seat type that may be very different from the airline’s all-jet fleet
- The Let 410 was delivered to Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital, via several countries to refuel
- Uzbekistan Airways plans to make use of the sort on routes and to cities that it currently doesn’t serve, including Zarafshan and Shakhrisabz
In an exciting development, Uzbekistan Airways welcomed its first Let 410 in mid-July, which entered service on July twentieth. Looking resplendent, the 19-seat type may be very rare in normal airline operations. Supplementing the carrier’s Airbus A320ceos/neos, A321neos, Boeing 767-300ERs, 787-8s (JFK being one route), and wet-leased Airbus A330-200s, the Let looks slightly different in Uzbekistan Airways’ otherwise all-jet fleet.
Welcome, OK-JNL!
Registered OK-JNL and seemingly to be re-registered as UK41002, it’s the primary of two Let 410s on firm order. The subsequent is due by the tip of the yr, and the airline has an extra two aircraft as options. Whether or not they are taken up depends, partially, on the performance and suitability of the primary two.
While I cannot confirm it using Flightradar24, it seems that the Czech-built OK-JNL was delivered to Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital, via Bulgaria, Türkiye, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan. This was to refuel.
Very short runways
Renowned for its short take-off and landing (STOL) capability, barely requiring 1,600 feet, the Let 410 was originally built greater than 40 years ago.
Designed for ‘thin’ routes (i.e., with low demand), it was designed for brief routes where runway length is a problem. It may operate at airports where conditions, equivalent to unpaved runways, require a rugged type. This comes at a price: the Let 410 is slow and has minimal comfort. Nonetheless, it is comparatively low cost to amass and maintain, and speed is just not much of an element on likely routes.
As you would possibly expect, Uzbekistan Airways intends to make use of them on routes and/or to cities it doesn’t presently serve resulting from unsuitable equipment. It is an element of a broader approach to extend the country’s connectivity.
The airline has mentioned using the Let 410 to Zarafshan, Shakhrisabz, and Andizhan. The carrier already serves Andizhan, which interestingly has a really long runway. It is barely 162 miles (260 km) from Tashkent, and is a route on which it says it should deploy the sort.
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A few years ago, I flew a Van Air Let 410, wet-leased by defunct ‘virtual carrier’ Citywing, on the 63-mile (101 km) hop from the Isle of Man to Belfast City. I actually have very fond memories of it.
The primary flight…
In keeping with the airline, the primary route was between Tashkent and Samarkand on July twentieth. Curiously, it’s 162 miles (260 km) apart, the identical because the previously mentioned Taskent-Andizhan.
Uzbekistan Airways’ booking engine shows that it is working each day. It leaves the capital at 08:30 and arrives at 09:55. Despite only having 19 seats, it has a one-hour turn in Samarkand and arrives back at 12:20.
Photo: Uzbekistan Airways.
It’s odder still when the A320 already serves the route. It’s unclear if the Let 410 is working it for training purposes or as a part of a longer-term plan. The A320 has a block time to Samarkand of 55 minutes, 35% less the 1h 25m by the obviously much slower Let.
What do you make of all of it? Tell us within the comments.