Karachi, September 3, 2026: A new chapter in Pakistan-Uzbekistan relations opened on Thursday with the launch of the first direct flight connecting Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent with Pakistan’s economic hub Karachi.
The new route, operated by Centrum Air, marks a significant expansion in air connectivity between the two brotherly countries. The development comes just over 20 months after there were no direct flights between Uzbekistan and Pakistan.
Following the launch of the Tashkent-Karachi service, the number of weekly direct flights between the two countries has reached eight. These include four flights per week between Tashkent and Lahore, two between Tashkent and Islamabad, and two between Tashkent and Karachi.
The development was described as a reflection of Uzbekistan’s open, dynamic and forward-looking policy under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, with particular emphasis on strengthening friendship, connectivity and people-to-people ties with Pakistan.
Uzbekistan also expressed appreciation to the leadership and team of Centrum Air for making the Tashkent-Karachi route a reality, while indicating that efforts would continue to expand air connectivity with Pakistan.
The direct flight is expected to facilitate business and investment exchanges as well as tourism between the two countries. The flight time between Tashkent and Karachi is approximately two hours and 45 minutes, while round-trip fares were cited as starting at slightly above $400.
Karachi, Pakistan’s major economic and commercial centre, is home to millions of entrepreneurs and travellers. The new direct connection is therefore expected to provide greater opportunities for businesspeople, investors and tourists from both countries.
The launch of the route represents another practical step towards strengthening economic, tourism and people-to-people links between Pakistan and Uzbekistan, with further expansion of air services expected in the future.
