Brief Overviews of Civil Aviation

Recent developments in the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) sector in Central Asia highlight significant advancements and investments aimed at enhancing aviation infrastructure and capabilities across the region. This overview captures the key elements shaping the MRO landscape.
Economic development, population, geographical location and the extent of the territory make Kazakhstan one of the most important players in the civil aviation market of Central Asia.
Due to its strategic location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Uzbekistan has a long and rich history of trade and commerce.
Rapid Development and Future Prospects of Air Cargo in Central Asia, the Caspian Region, and the Caucasus
Southeastern Europe stands at the cusp of varying economic trajectories. The economic climate significantly influences realms such as business development, tourism, and transport, notably aviation, where stability fosters augmented demand for travel services.

Upcoming Events

  1. November 27, 2024, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
  2. focus on: Central Asia Eurasia Caspian Caucasus
The air cargo market is undergoing significant transformations due to geopolitical unrest, leading to the pursuit of the most efficient routes between key regions. Major cargo flows are shifting their focus on the most efficient routes between Southeast China and Europe, Europe and Asia, and the United States and the rest of the world. This shift has resulted in a new role for Central Asian routes, particularly between Europe and Asia. Airports such as Tashkent, Navoi, Bishkek, Astana, and Almaty are poised to play a crucial role in the current environment.

The positive developments in both political, economic, and air transport sectors in Central Asian countries, particularly in Uzbekistan, have created new and unmatched opportunities for international air cargo carriers. Central Asia Air Cargo Summit serves as a platform for facilitating networking among all stakeholders interested in the development of the air cargo market in this region. The summit will provide a unique opportunity for industry professionals to engage in discussions, share knowledge, and identify new business opportunities in the region.
  1. February 2025, United Arab Emirates
  2. focus on: Middle East Central Asia Southeast Europe Eurasia
Suppling enough aircraft to support booming Central Asia and South Eurasia airlines development is one of the major challenges today. Asia Connect: Aviation Finance and Lease conference is designed to provide efficient and comfortable discussion platform for considering the current state and prospects of the air transport financing and leasing market in Central Asia and South Eurasia, where air carriers, leasing companies, financiers, lawyers, and aircraft manufacturers meet.
  1. February 2025, Saudi Arabia
  2. focus on: Saudi Arabia
  1. February 25, 2025, Almaty, Kazakhstan
  2. focus on: Central Asia Eurasia Caspian Caucasus
This event is dedicated to the digital aspects of searching, selling and organizing air travel.
Innovative technologies in commercial aviation and the travel industry, their mutual influence will help to adapt to the ever-changing reality and open up opportunities for future development.
  • What are current traveller needs and how to predict future travel trends and requirements?
  • How are distribution technologies changing?
  • What are the mainstreams in digital transformation of aviation?
  • Which new IT solutions and instruments could improve your business?
  1. March 18–19, 2025, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
  2. focus on: Central Asia Eurasia Caspian Caucasus
Civil aviation in Central Asia is experiencing a boom, characterized by double-digit growth. However, this rapid development is not without its significant challenges. A prominent issue is the lack of engineering infrastructure and MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) facilities. There's an urgent need for MRO infrastructure to sustain the current pace of development in the region infrastructure to support current development. Conference delegates will gain firsthand experience through direct interactions with all major market players. This event presents a unique opportunity for exhibitors to showcase their capabilities and innovations. Additionally, it offers an excellent platform for discussing vital issues with market leaders and establishing new business relationships within the region.
  1. April 29, 2025, Astana, Kazakhstan
  2. focus on: Central Asia Eurasia
Major international conference in the Republic of Kazakhstan is set to focus on the development of the air transport system of the South Eurasian region, primarily emphasizing the exploration of aviation and tourism potential of the Central Asian states, among which Kazakhstan playing a leading role. This conference aims to provide a comprehensive platform for discussing these vital topics, thereby contributing to the strategic development of aviation and tourism in the South Eurasian region.
Key topics:
  • Central Asia and South Eurasia’s new role in global air transport;
  • Opportunities and challenges for rapid growth;
  • Resource assessment;
  • Technology’s role in supporting aviation growth.
  1. May 28, 2025, Zagreb, Croatia
  2. focus on: Southeast Europe Eurasia
The third aviation network conference for Southeast Europe will continue to concentrate on the development of civil aviation in this increasingly significant region. Beyond their traditional role in accommodating leisure traffic, some destinations in this region are beginning to serve as connecting hubs between Asia and Europe. This shift presents new opportunities for launching new routes, modifying traditional networks, and building new infrastructure to support these changes.
Key topics:
  • Airport traffic in the region; prospects for airline startups
  • Legacy carriers vs LCC
  • Role of national tourism boards
  • Local and foreign airlines
  • Efficient IT solutions
  1. October 22, 2025, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
  2. focus on: Central Asia Eurasia Caspian Caucasus
The traditional annual conference, focusing on the current state and future prospects of the air transport market in Central Asia and South Eurasia, provides a platform where leaders from airlines, airports, leasing companies, financiers, aircraft manufacturers, and market experts convene to discuss the development of air transport in the region. This conference aims to provide insightful discussions, fostering collaboration and strategic planning for the advancement of air transport in Central Asia and South Eurasia.
Key topics:
  • The evolving role of Central Asia and South Eurasia in global air transport
  • Opportunities and challenges for rapid growth
  • Resource assessment; technology and aviation growth in South Eurasia
  1. November 11, 2025, Istanbul, Türkiye
  2. focus on: Middle East Central Asia
  3. Southeast Europe Eurasia Caspian Caucasus
Annual Air Transport Leaders Congress held in the very heart of Eurasia in the beautiful Istanbul is focused on the current state and prospects of the air transport market in South Eurasia, where leaders of airlines, airports, leasing companies, financiers, aircraft manufacturers, and market experts meet to discuss the region’s air transport development and its financing.
Key topics:
  • The new role of South Eurasia region in global air transport following pandemic and political turbulence
  • Opportunities and requirements to fuel rapid growth and take geopolitical advantages of Turkey and neighboring countries
  • Resource: what is available and what is needed in the nearest future
  • What technology would be most critically efficient in current environment to support aviation growth in South Eurasia?
  1. November 25, 2025, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
  2. focus on: Central Asia Eurasia Caspian Caucasus
The air cargo market is undergoing significant transformations due to geopolitical unrest, leading to the pursuit of the most efficient routes between key regions. Major cargo flows are shifting their focus on the most efficient routes between Southeast China and Europe, Europe and Asia, and the United States and the rest of the world. This shift has resulted in a new role for Central Asian routes, particularly between Europe and Asia. Airports such as Tashkent, Navoi, Bishkek, Astana, and Almaty are poised to play a crucial role in the current environment.

The positive developments in both political, economic, and air transport sectors in Central Asian countries, particularly in Uzbekistan, have created new and unmatched opportunities for international air cargo carriers. Central Asia Air Cargo Summit serves as a platform for facilitating networking among all stakeholders interested in the development of the air cargo market in this region. The summit will provide a unique opportunity for industry professionals to engage in discussions, share knowledge, and identify new business opportunities in the region.
World-class air transport and travel events, tailored for Central Asia, Middle East, South Europe, Caspian, Caucasus and beyond

Past Events

  1. 2024.05.29 Dubrovnik, Croatia
  2. 2023.02.02 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Post event report
  1. 2024.09.12 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
  2. 2024.04.11 Astana, Kazakhstan
  3. 2023.11.23 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
  4. 2023.06.13 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
  5. 2022.12.13–14 Samarkand, Uzbekistan
  6. 2022.09.07 Istanbul, Türkiye
Post event report
  1. 2024.03.26–27 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
  2. 2023.05.17–18 Istanbul, Türkiye
  3. 2022.11.09−10 Istanbul, Türkiye
Post event report
  1. 2023.10.11 Istanbul, Türkiye
Post event report
  1. 2023.05.10 Belgrade, Serbia
Post event report
ROUND TABLE: Future of Aviation. Uzbekistan
  1. 2023.02.28 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Post event report

Our speakers

  • Jasurbek Choriyev
    Deputy Minister of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan
  • Ulugbek Azamov
    Deputy Minister of Tourism and Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan
  • Jiri Marek
    CEO, Air Serbia
  • Vinay Malhotra
    Head of Global Sales, IndiGo
  • Rene Gsponer
    Acting CEO, COO, Accountable Manager, Humo Air
  • Mario Antonio Ebcim
    Director, Commercial Airplane Sales, Eurasia, Boeing
  • Pawel Skuteli
    Regional Director Airline Marketing, Embraer Commercial Aviation, Embraer
  • Artem Trdatian
    Regional Sales Director, Airbus
  • Jasurbek Choriyev
    Deputy Minister of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan
  • Ulugbek Azamov
    Deputy Minister of Tourism and Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan
  • Takhir Nazarov
    Director, CAA of Uzbekistan
  • Kairat Sadvakasov
    Chairman of the Board, Kazakh Tourism
  • Jeef Peet
    Senior Adviser, Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan
  • Ardak Utepov
    Deputy Director General, Kazaeronavigatsia
  • Adlet Kobenov
    Civil Aviation Committee of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan
  • Rizwan Siddiqui
    Country Manager Central Asia, IATA
  • Jamoliddin Nazarov
    Deputy Head of the Air Transport Department of Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan
  • Jiri Marek
    CEO, Air Serbia
  • Vinay Malhotra
    Head of Global Sales, IndiGo
  • Rene Gsponer
    Acting CEO, COO, Accountable Manager, Humo Air
  • Emre Pekesen
    SVP Sales and Network Planning, Pegasus Airlines
  • Mamurjon Mamadaliev
    First Deputy to General Director, My Freighter
  • Majid Khan
    CEO, Saudi Air Connectivity Program
  • Krislen Keri
    Senior Commercial Manager, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi
  • Plamen Atanassov
    CEO, Fly2Sky Airlines
  • Robert Dando
    Senior Manager of Maintenance, Air Astana
  • Mario Antonio Ebcim
    Director, Commercial Airplane Sales, Eurasia, Boeing
  • Pawel Skuteli
    Regional Director Airline Marketing, Embraer Commercial Aviation, Embraer
  • Artem Trdatian
    Regional Sales Director, Airbus
  • Dr. Axel Schauenburg
    Associate Partner, Head of Maintenance & Engineering, Lufthansa Consulting
  • Maksim Koklov
    Regional Sales Director, CIS, Corporate Sales Central Europe & CIS, Lufthansa Technik
  • Umid Husanov
    Director, Uzbekistan Airways Technics
  • Takhir Nazarov
    Director, CAA of Uzbekistan
  • Kairat Sadvakasov
    Chairman of the Board, Kazakh Tourism
  • Jeef Peet
    Senior Adviser, Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan
  • Ardak Utepov
    Deputy Director General, Kazaeronavigatsia
  • Adlet Kobenov
    Civil Aviation Committee of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan
  • Rizwan Siddiqui
    Country Manager Central Asia, IATA
  • Jamoliddin Nazarov
    Deputy Head of the Air Transport Department of Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan
  • Emre Pekesen
    SVP Sales and Network Planning, Pegasus Airlines
  • Mamurjon Mamadaliev
    First Deputy to General Director, My Freighter
  • Majid Khan
    CEO, Saudi Air Connectivity Program
  • Krislen Keri
    Senior Commercial Manager, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi
  • Plamen Atanassov
    CEO, Fly2Sky Airlines
  • Robert Dando
    Senior Manager of Maintenance, Air Astana
  • Dr. Axel Schauenburg
    Associate Partner, Head of Maintenance & Engineering, Lufthansa Consulting
  • Maksim Koklov
    Regional Sales Director, CIS, Corporate Sales Central Europe & CIS, Lufthansa Technik
  • Umid Husanov
    Director, Uzbekistan Airways Technics

Why Participate in ato comm Conferences?

The ATO COMM team has been arranging and holding professional events with enthusiasm and dedication for many years — business conferences, exhibitions, industry awards, seminars, etc. Like any meaningful work, our activity brings us much joy when we feel that the event had a success. When the speakers managed to raise the audience interest, the participants actively asked questions, had heated discussions on the sidelines, and after the sessions communicated in an informal atmosphere, they just did not want to disperse.

But there are always those who remain dissatisfied. Leaving the event, they ask themselves — why did I come here, why did I waste my time and the company’s money?

There can be many reasons for disappointment, we carefully study them, trying to make our events better. But on the basis of many years of experience and numerous surveys, let us say that some participants, having come to a business conference, are simply not ready for it — they have not determined the purpose for their attendance.
"If you don’t care where you want to find yourself, girl, it does not matter for you where you go" — L. Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

We have taken the liberty of bringing together the advice of numerous highly respected business people who shared their opinions on why to attend business conferences.

We will be glad if these tips will help you to improve the efficiency of your work at the event.
Gaining Knowledge and Experience

You need to come to the conferences for obtaining serious facts and professional opinions that help you take a broader look at your business, catch the current market trends.

Participation in the conference gives you an opportunity to learn about new ideas and approaches in the areas of your interest, as well as to expand your understanding of related areas, to better understand the problems, to enrich yourself with new facts and analytics and to charge yourself by the atmosphere of a professional community.

In order not to miss anything valuable, preparation is needed. It is useful to study the program in advance and to highlight those elements that require most attention. It is advisable to prepare substantive questions on the topics of your interest and to ask them in the conference room or during a break. By the way, this is a good opportunity to get to know the speaker personally.
Updating Knowledge about Market Participants

Participation in a professional conference is one of the most convenient ways to refresh your understanding of your position in the market. From speeches, presentations and communication, you can assess the state and current level of market leaders, competitors, potential customers and partners.
It is useful to look at the activity of competitors. Watch their work at the conference: how they position themselves, what they win over you, and what they lose.
Communication

Face-to-face meetings are always more effective than communication by mail or on the Internet, so do not miss the opportunity to talk within the framework of the conference. Many people believe that communication within the framework of the event is no less beneficial for business than reports and discussions within the framework of the program.

Here you can easily organize communication with people you already know who will be on the same site and at the same time with you. Contact them in advance, and this will allow you to have 5−10 quick meetings.

In addition, do not miss the opportunity to meet directly with potential partners, customers, people important to the industry. Decide in advance who you want to meet by looking at the list of participants. And think about how you can get to know each other. It is best to approach with a specific question or topic for discussion, thereby demonstrating interest in this particular person or the company they represent.

To search for the like-minded people, it makes sense to browse social networks by the conference hashtag — live reviews, thoughts, opinions. It’s a good chance to see an interesting person, send him a message and immediately meet him in person.

"Fan" networking is perceived worst of all in the professional community. This is when a person goes from one participant to another with the same question: "What is your name, what do you do? Perhaps we can find some common ground? Let’s exchange business cards." "Fan" networking can "shoot" only when the organizers specifically hold networking sessions, where all the participants get the opportunity to quickly and in an organized way get to know each other.

And there is a little trick: if possible, come to the very opening of the event. Usually people pull up to the end of the "welcome coffee" and the beginning of the first reports. And hence, there is a chance to catch some very cool participant or speaker, who is quietly bored on the sidelines until the bulk of the people arrived.
Marketing

If you plan to stay in your market for a long time, you need to work on your recognition and image. The more often customers and partners see you in various sources, whether it is a publication in the media, speeches at events or participation in them, the more likely you will be perceived as a reliable partner.

To achieve a clear marketing benefit from the event, if you are an ordinary participant, and not a sponsor, you will have to be reasonably active. The effect of such activities can be multiplied if several people are present at the conference from the company.

At a minimum, it makes sense to greet all your friends, remind them of your existence and show that everything is fine with you. In our pandemic times, this becomes especially important. Tell the right people about yourself or your new products.

Use modern marketing tools. Publications in social networks with the conference hashtag, with original and incendiary comments and photos; participation in online surveys and questionnaires, interesting questions for speakers, participation in video interviews and some other PR activities of the organizers for social networks — this is an incomplete list of such opportunities.

Often, to promote their marketing goals, their own publication of the results of attending an event is also beneficial.

Events Business Partners

Testimonials

  • At this conference, we would like to have intensive networking to better understand what is going on in the air transport industry in this region — in the CIS, in Central Asia, in the Caucasus; because I think there are many new opportunities here. We can support each other and develop new traffic.
    Adel Dauletbek
    Vice-president Marketing & Sales, Air Astana
  • As for Aktau Airport, the conference is very useful, because we meet not only with our old partners, but also the new ones, and we hear about the strategy and vision of other airports and airlines.
    Meruert Zholdybaeva
    Acting General Director, Aktau International Airport
  • In our mid-long strategy we’re actually looking into the region which is mostly represented at this conference, so it’s a good possibility for us to network and develop new connections and new opportunities for the future.
    Jiri Marek
    CEO, Air Serbia
  • Thanks to this conference, we understand partnerships, statistics and division for 2023–2025. In general, our entire board is here, and after this conference we will change our strategy a lot. So it was very useful for us.
    Valeriy Parenchuk
    Head of Tourism Project, Easybooking
  • At this conference, we received a proof that Central Asia has great opportunities and advantages, compared to other markets, in the development of air transportation, both through the region and international transit.
    Yerkin Nauryzbayev
    Acting CEO, Qazaq Air
  • On behalf of the Uzbekistan Airports Joint Stock Company, I thank you for the high appreciation of our team. It was a pleasure and very useful for us to participate in this conference. Thank you for the excellent and interesting organization of this event.
    Anna Degtyarenko
    Head of Aviation Services Development Department, Uzbekistan Airports
  • Thank you for the invitation and giving me the chance to speak in this valuable conference. Hope to come together at the next conferences.
    Emre Pekesen
    SVP — Sales and Network Planning, Pegasus Airlines
  • The conference was very useful for me because I met industry representatives from countries that are sometimes very hard to reach. It was good to see them all in one place, and the event itself was very well organized.
    Igor Aptsiauri
    Omniva Representative In Caucasus and Central Asia
  • The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan has identified the tourism sector as one of the strategic sectors of the national economy. We expect the tourist flow to grow to 7 million tourists, and the export of tourist services up to $ 2 billion. The government is actively implementing an "open door" policy, the visa system is being simplified: over the past three years, the number of visa-free countries has grown from 9 to 90, and a system for issuing electronic visas for citizens of 54 countries has been implemented. An open sky mode has been introduced for foreign airlines. Nevertheless, we see that the demand significantly exceeds the supply, and the capacity of existing airlines is not enough to meet the needs of both Uzbekistan citizens and guests of the republic.
    Heritage Aziz Abdukhakimov
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism and Cultural
  • At present, many new airlines are being founded in Uzbekistan. I hope that in the near future this will support the demand for the development of tourism and business activities in all regions of the country. Being a holding that manages 11 international airports we try to develop an airport infrastructure as soon as possible in order to provide for this demand.
    Rano Djurayeva
    CEO of Uzbekistan Airports JSC
  • Within the framework of the conference, an analysis of the aviation market in the region was presented by international and local experts. In the post-pandemic period, the development of business in the field of aviation has changed a lot.
    Every day we face new challenges that allow us to consider and explore new markets. Uzbekistan Airways is actively working on increasing the aircraft fleet and the frequency of flights to existing destinations, as well as on opening new destinations, which in turn will have a positive impact on attracting both direct and transit passengers wishing to fly via Uzbekistan.
    Sardor Irmukhamedov
    Director of the Department of Tariffs and Commercial Agreements in JSC Uzbekistan Airways noted
  • Central Asia is becoming an increasingly interesting market for commercial aviation and we are committed to the region. We were delighted to be in Samarkand to support the conference, share our perspective on the current situation in the region and it’s development prospects, present an overview of the aviation market and meet with our customers.
    Mario Antonio Ebcim
    Director, Strategy and Market Development, Boeing Commercial Airplanes

About Us

ATO COMM based in EU (Slovenia), and US company, MARK COMM, are two integral parts of the next-generation integrated marketing communications platform, specifically tailored for global transport and travel industries with a special focus on emerging markets. The platform’s core value proposition is to be a one-stop-shop for:
  • conference management
  • corporate training and education
  • trade media services
  • marketing communications and media relations
  • consultancy services
Our executive team brings strategic knowledge and a vast experience to our company. Their rich and varied skills and talents, backed by an extensive network of industry professionals and a list of trusted speakers, guide our mission to create the best industry-tailored events.

Our mission is to create trade events and activities, which are beneficial to the business development of each participating company or individual, as well as to contribute to the evolution of the industry. Participants of our events know that they will get an unbiased and comprehensive assessment of the market, understood the views of the key players and regulators, enriched their outlook with new insights, and struck up meaningful business contacts.

Contact Us

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