UZBEKISTAN AIRWAYS OFFICIALS FAVORABLE TO AVIATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 000033 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/08/2018 TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL US UZ SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN AIRWAYS OFFICIALS FAVORABLE TO AVIATION COOPERATION WITH WEST Classified By: Poloff Steven Prohaska for reasons 1.4 (b, d). ¶1. (C) Ambassador paid a courtesy call on January 3 on the Director General of Uzbekistan Airways, Valeriy Tyan. (Note: Uzbekistan Airways is the largest non-Russian airline in the Commonwealth of Independent States. End note.) Tyan noted that per its contract with Boeing, Uzbekistan would receive the first of two Boeing-787 Dreamliner aircraft in 2014. Additionally, Uzbekistan would receive new Boeing-767s starting this February, and also planned to procure an unspecified number of Boeing-737s. ¶2. (C) Tyan praised the very constructive relations between Uzbekistan Airways and the U.S. aircraft engine manufacturing company Pratt and Whitney. Uzbekistan Airways has outfitted some of its aircraft, such as Il-114 commuter airlines, with Collins avionics and Pratt and Whitney engines. Tyan said that Uzbekistan Airways and Delta were negotiating the establishment of a codeshare arrangement under the "Sky Team" rubric. ¶3. (C) Comment: Uzbekistan Airways' close relationship with Boeing goes back twelve years. While Uzbekistan Airways cooperates with a variety of countries on civil aviation matters, Tyan made clear the government believes that cooperation with U.S. aircraft and aircraft equipment manufacturers is important to the future of the company, as demonstrated by the fact that President Karimov himself has ordered a Boeing-767 for his personal use. NORLAND