AIRASIA is looking into the possibility of flying to Uzbekistan following a request by Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi .

The prime minister said AirAsia group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes was receptive to the idea and assured him that he would make an immediate appraisal of the proposal.

Uzbekistan Airways flies twice a week between Tashkent and Kuala Lumpur on a code-sharing basis with Malaysia Airlines.

Fernandes said in Kuala Lumpur yesterday: "We are more than 70 per cent sure of going to Uzbekistan. We will make a trip there and if we can get the right rates such as airport charges, we will definitely operate flights."

Abdullah said the proposal to increase the frequency of flights between the countries was raised during his meeting with Uzbek President Islam Karimov.
He said having more flights would benefit both countries, especially in tourism.

Abdullah was speaking to reporters after a meeting with Karimov, during which both leaders witnessed the signing of three memorandums of understanding on cooperation in the areas of science and technology, higher education and development of human capital in the oil and gas industry.

Abdullah is leading a delegation which includes ministers in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz and Tan Sri Amirsham Abdul Aziz, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, National Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Ser Shafie Apdal and Petronas president and chief executive officer Tan Sri Hassan Marican.

The Malaysian delegation, including the prime minister's wife Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah, left yesterday for Samarkand, a popular tourist destination.

In Kuala Lumpur, long-haul budget airline AirAsia X said it was studying the possibility of mounting flights to Central Asia, including Uzbekistan, as early as next year.

"We've been looking at (operating) new routes. We have looked at countries in Central Asia such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and will make a trip to Uzbekistan, probably in January, to meet officials there and explore possibilities for new routes," Fernandes told the New Straits Times yesterday.

"We think Uzbekistan has enormous tourism potential and people there will have a chance to come to Southeast Asia.

"We are proud the government has asked us (to establish the air link). \

"It shows the importance of AirAsia to the economy and that the country now has a choice (besides Malaysia Airlines)."

Fernandes also said the airline was "serious" about mounting flights to Uzbekistan but had been held back by a lack of aircraft.

AirAsia X has ordered 25 A330-300s planes from Airbus.

It recently took delivery of its first plane, with the second one arriving next month. Four planes will be delivered next year.

The airline has begun operations to Australia's Gold Coast, Perth and Melbourne, as well as Hangzhou in China.

It is scheduled to begin flights to London in March, and also plans to operate flights to Japan and the Middle East.