Centrum Air начнет рейсы из Ташкента в Челябинск и Тюмень в конце 2026 — начале 2027 года

The third meeting of the Central Asia-China Working Group on civil aviation cooperation in the C5+1 format has begun in Tashkent. The event gathered representatives from aviation authorities and airlines from six countries.

The conference is being held at the Hyatt Regency Tashkent hotel, with delegations from Uzbekistan, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan participating. The main goal of the meeting is to strengthen interaction in the field of civil aviation between China and the Central Asian countries, as well as to promote the implementation of the agreement on the joint development of the Air Silk Road.

This agreement was signed on January 24, 2024, by the Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan and the Civil Aviation Administration of China. During the conference, participants plan to discuss deepening cooperation in priority areas of civil aviation, implementing joint projects, liberalizing the air transport market, and unifying the industry's regulatory framework.

It is expected that this meeting will contribute to strengthening regional aviation partnership, stimulating joint initiatives, and expanding the practical participation of the participating countries within the Air Silk Road project.

The Uzbek airline Centrum Air has launched direct flights between Tashkent and Mattala in Sri Lanka. According to the news agency Dunyo, the new route will operate twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and will be valid until the end of March 2027.

The first flight arrived at Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport at 5:30 PM local time on October 28, carrying 160 passengers. The arrival was marked by a traditional water welcome and an official opening ceremony.

The launch of this route was the result of negotiations involving the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Islamabad, Centrum Air, and relevant Sri Lankan organizations. Representatives of the host side expressed gratitude for the introduction of a direct service on the Tashkent–Mattala–Tashkent route.

This new service is expected to strengthen transport links between Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka, as well as create additional opportunities for the development of trade, investment, and tourism. Furthermore, the direct flights will allow Uzbekistan to act as a transit hub for air transport between Sri Lanka and Central Asian countries.

As part of the passenger transport development strategy until 2030, which is currently under discussion, it is planned to connect Tashkent's new airport to the 'Tashkent-Severny' railway station with a rail line.

According to this document, Uzbekistan plans to build three railway lines by 2030 to connect airports with stations. These routes are planned not only for Tashkent but also for Bukhara and Urgench. The project also includes the Parkent—New Tashkent section.

The construction of the first line is scheduled for 2026, and the remaining two for 2029, with all three projects expected to be completed by 2030. To secure funding for the lines in Tashkent and Bukhara, the possibility of attracting loans from commercial banks is being considered. Preliminary allocations for the projects in Tashkent and Bukhara amount to about $30.6 million in 2029 and $37.4 million in 2030, although the exact cost of each facility has not been determined.

Furthermore, a unified transport system is planned for implementation in the Tashkent agglomeration starting in July 2027. This system should integrate the 'Tashkent-Severny' and 'Tashkent-Yuzhny' stations, Tashkent International Airport, and the central bus terminal.

Within these plans, there is an intention to increase the number of electric trains from Chirchik, Yangiyul, Angren, and Almalyk by one and a half times. Direct transfers to the metro are also provided for passengers. Another initiative is the creation of a unified electronic platform called 'Bir yo'l', which will allow purchasing tickets for trains, airplanes, and buses. Additionally, twenty bus routes are planned to connect airports, railway stations, and bus terminals, with the transfer time between different modes of transport to be reduced from twenty to ten minutes.

It is worth noting that the construction of the new Tashkent International Airport was approved by a presidential decree dated November 25, 2025, and will occupy an area of 1,310 hectares. In the initial phase, two runways, each four kilometers long, a passenger terminal covering 208 thousand square meters, 98 aircraft parking spots, a refueling complex, and a control tower will be built.

Under the terms of the agreement, a private consortium will take on the tasks of constructing and operating the station forecourt and passenger terminal, while the state side is responsible for the construction and operation of the aerodrome complex. After the airport becomes operational, which is planned for the end of 2030, it will be able to accommodate up to 20 million passengers and handle up to 300 thousand tons of cargo annually, becoming an important element of the country's logistics and transport infrastructure.