Centrum Air Connects Tajikistan’s Dushanbe and Uzbekistan’s Tashkent with New Direct Route

A new international flight route has officially been launched between Dushanbe and Tashkent, further enhancing air connectivity between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The Tajik Civil Aviation Agency confirmed the development, highlighting it as part of the country’s broader push toward liberalizing its aviation sector, The Caspian Post reports via Tajik media.

The direct flights, operated by Uzbek airline Centrum Air, commenced on July 19 and will run twice weekly, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The service was made possible under a bilateral air agreement signed between the two nations in March 2018.

The announcement follows a major policy shift by the Tajik government, which in June 2025 officially abolished the long-standing parity principle - a rule that previously required equal operating conditions for domestic and foreign carriers.

This change paves the way for Tajikistan’s adoption of an “open skies” policy, which will initially apply to four international airports: Dushanbe, Khujand, Bokhtar, and Kulob. The new policy removes previous restrictions on flight frequency, seating capacity, and ticket pricing, opening the market to increased competition and potentially more affordable travel.

Although temporary limits still apply to 18 routes, these restrictions are expected to be lifted over the next three years, aligning them with the new aviation framework.

Industry experts have long criticized the parity requirement as a barrier to growth, citing its role in driving up airfare prices, limiting route development, and stifling tourism in Tajikistan.