TAT welcomes Centrum Air’s inaugural Tashkent–Phuket flight
TAT welcomes Centrum Air’s first Tashkent–Phuket flight with 95 % load factor, expanding Thai tourism to Uzbekistan and Central Asia
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) welcomed the inaugural flight of Uzbekistan’s Centrum Air, operating route C6529 from Tashkent to Phuket on October 31, 2025. The flight, with a capacity of 186 seats, achieved a 95 per cent load factor and arrived at Phuket International Airport at 2.10 pm.
The welcoming ceremony was attended by Santi Sawangcharoen, TAT Regional Director for the Americas, Middle East and Africa; Kanchana Sing-udom, Director of TAT Moscow Office; and Siriwan Seeharach, Director of TAT Phuket Office, together with representatives from Phuket International Airport, who greeted arriving passengers warmly.
Several top Uzbek influencers joined the flight to explore tourist attractions in Phuket and surrounding areas from October 31 to November 7, 2025. Their seven-day trip will showcase Thailand’s full tourism experience – nature, culture and local lifestyle – to inspire travellers from Uzbekistan and the broader Central Asian market to visit Thailand.
Santi described the occasion as a success of TAT’s “Airline Focus” strategy, which aims to increase flights and airline seating capacity to Thailand. Centrum Air, a private Uzbek carrier offering both charter and scheduled flights, focuses on connecting Central Asian routes with international destinations. Thailand is positioned as a regional hub to cater to the growing demand from Uzbek and Central Asian travellers.
Although Uzbekistan remains a small market, it has high growth potential. The launch of Centrum Air’s Tashkent–Bangkok service in July and today’s new Tashkent–Phuket route will play a key role in expanding Thailand’s visitor base from Uzbekistan and the region.
The Tashkent–Phuket route is an extension of Centrum Air’s existing Bangkok service, operating two weekly flights on Wednesdays and Fridays starting from October 31, 2025. The inaugural C6529 flight departed Tashkent International Airport with 186 passengers and landed in Phuket at 2.10 pm with a 95 per cent load factor.
Between January 1 and October 28, 2025, a total of 41,173 Uzbek tourists visited Thailand, marking a 37 per cent increase from 2024. TAT expects arrivals to reach 50,000 by the end of 2025. Over 80 per cent of Uzbek travellers are first-time visitors who favour beach and nature destinations, as well as health and wellness services. Most travel as families or couples through tour operators during peak holidays such as New Year in December and the Novruz festival in March, mainly to Phuket, Bangkok, Chon Buri and Krabi.
To mark the new route, TAT supported Centrum Air in bringing five Uzbek influencers to Thailand on the inaugural flight to experience local tourism firsthand in Phuket and neighbouring areas from October 31 to November 7. Their seven-day programme includes visits to beaches and local communities in Rawai, an elephant care activity, and hands-on workshops such as fruit carving, Thai cooking and local cocktail mixing, as well as a trip to the picturesque Similan Islands in Phang Nga.
This trip offers influencers not only a glimpse into Phuket’s beauty but also a comprehensive tourism experience blending nature, culture and Thai lifestyle. They will help showcase the charm of Phuket and the Andaman coastal provinces to the Central Asian market.
