Uzbekistan’s Competition Committee has investigated a passenger complaint against Wizz Air and taken action to improve service for Uzbek travelers. As a result, the airline will now provide Uzbek-language assistance on flights to Uzbekistan.
The Complaint
The issue came to public attention when Rasul Kusherbayev, a former deputy and adviser to the Minister of Ecology, encountered a language barrier on a Wizz Air flight from Samarkand to Abu Dhabi.
Kusherbayev, who was seated near the emergency exit, was given safety instructions in English. Since he did not understand English, he requested an explanation in Uzbek or Russian. However, instead of accommodating his request, a crew member asked him to leave the plane. Kusherbayev refused, and upon arrival in Abu Dhabi, the airline contacted local police. Authorities advised both sides to resolve the matter amicably. Wizz Air staff later informed Kusherbayev that he was banned from using the airline’s services in the future.
The incident led Kusherbayev to publicly criticize Wizz Air for failing to provide information in Uzbekistan’s state language.
Government Response and Airline Commitment
Following the complaint, Uzbekistan’s Competition Committee launched an investigation. The committee emphasized that all passengers must clearly understand safety instructions and that providing them exclusively in a foreign language could create risks and misunderstandings.
As a result of the probe, the committee took action against the airline employees involved. Wizz Air also introduced new training programs for its crew on flight safety, etiquette, and passenger rights. The airline has committed to ensuring that by 2025, flight attendants and service personnel on Uzbekistan-bound flights will be able to communicate in Uzbek.
