Uzbekistan-based Centrum Air has launched scheduled flights between Tashkent and Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) in Sri Lanka, establishing a new air link between Central Asia and the island nation. The inaugural flight arrived at Mattala on October 28, 2026.
The airline will operate two weekly flights on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with evening departures from Tashkent and return services from Mattala.
Royal Spence Aviation, a partner company of Aitken Spence Travels, has been appointed as Centrum Air’s General Sales Agent (GSA) and Airport Supervision Agent in Sri Lanka.
The new route is expected to boost tourism and travel opportunities between the two countries. It will also make Uzbekistan’s historic Silk Road destinations, including Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva, more accessible to Sri Lankan travellers.
The service is expected to benefit Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, including hotels, tour operators and transport providers, while promoting attractions across the country’s Southern and Eastern regions through Mattala as a gateway.