Uzbekistan's Centrum Air on 28 October 2026 operated the first regular flight of its Tashkent–Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (Hambantota, Sri Lanka) programme. Sri Lankan media reported the launch on 29 October; one report cites a Sri Lankan ministry. The carrier had announced the programme in September.
What is known about the programme
Flights are planned twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, on Airbus A320-family aircraft, until the end of March 2027. According to schedule publications, an Airbus A320neo is used on the route in the 2026/27 winter season. In September the carrier announced fares from 4.2 million soums. Departure times differ between publications or are not given, so we do not quote them.
Local representative
According to a Sri Lankan outlet, Royal Spence Aviation is named as general sales agent and airport supervision agent at Mattala. The agency contract term, quotas and scope of services are not disclosed in the report.
What came before
Centrum Air has flown from Tashkent to Sri Lanka before: in November 2024 it opened Tashkent–Colombo flights. According to schedule publications, the Hambantota route was served until January 2025. We therefore describe the October 2026 launch as a resumption of the programme on the Mattala route, not as the first air link between Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka.
What has not been announced
The number of passengers on the first flight, load factor, flight number, agreement term and sales results have not been named. It is not said whether the programme will be extended for the summer season.
Our assessment: twice-weekly flights on one route from the start of the winter season are aimed at seasonal tourist demand from November to April. For Uzbekistan's market this is a relatively small programme, and its durability depends on load factors and the local representative's work. This is flycentralasia's conclusion, not a statement by Centrum Air.
What businesses can do. Tour operators and agencies in Uzbekistan and neighbouring countries should check availability for Wednesdays and Saturdays and contact Sri Lankan destination management companies (DMCs) before the season. Sri Lankan tourism companies would do well to offer winter-season packages for travellers from Central Asia.