Centrum Air delay strands passengers in Kazan for 27 hours

A Centrum Air flight scheduled to depart from Kazan, Russia, to Tashkent at 9:30 a.m. local time on December 21 was delayed multiple times due to a technical issue with the aircraft.

On Sunday alone, the departure time was changed at least four times – first to 10:30 a.m., then to 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Eventually, the flight was postponed to December 22.

“Throughout the day, passengers were not given clear information. At first, there were repeated announcements about further delays. Then they said we could collect our luggage and that ticket refunds would be issued within 30 days. By evening, there was renewed hope that the plane might finally depart,” one passenger told Kun.uz. According to the passenger, police officers also arrived and attempted to have the travelers leave the airport.

A Centrum Air representative at Kazan airport told passengers that a technical malfunction had occurred in the aircraft’s landing gear and that replacing it would take until the evening. After that, passengers were informed that the flight crew needed rest, and the flight was postponed until the morning.

However, the 7:30 a.m. departure scheduled for December 22 also failed to take off on time. Passengers were boarded at 9:20 a.m. local time and then remained seated on the aircraft for more than three hours. Company representatives explained the delay by citing the Russian side’s refusal to grant takeoff clearance.

In total, 214 passengers on the Kazan – Tashkent flight were stuck at the airport from 9:00 a.m. on December 21 until 12:30 p.m. on December 22 – a total of 27 hours. According to Kun.uz, the aircraft finally departed shortly after 12:30 p.m. local time on December 22.

Passengers were offered hotel accommodation on the evening of December 21. However, many declined and chose to remain in the waiting area.

“A company representative kept coming to us and saying the plane would depart any moment, dragging the situation out all day. Eventually, most passengers stopped believing these assurances and refused to go to a hotel. Also, since many of us are labor migrants, we were worried that leaving and re-entering the border zone could create problems,” another passenger told Kun.uz.

On its Telegram channel, Centrum Air initially announced on December 21 that the flight had been postponed until 3:00 p.m. for technical reasons.

Later, the airline issued an official statement on the situation at Kazan airport, saying that passenger support measures were ongoing.

“Passengers have already been provided with water and hot meals. The airline submitted a request in advance to accommodate 214 passengers in hotels. Passengers who have completed the check-out process are now receiving their baggage. A list of those wishing to stay at hotels has been compiled, and all interested passengers will soon be accommodated at the Tri A and AMAKS hotels,” the company said in a statement released at 10:49 p.m. on December 21.

As compensation, the airline offered affected passengers a promo code providing a 25 percent discount on future flights, free seat selection, and free additional baggage.

A Centrum Air official who spoke with a Kun.uz reporter added that transporting and replacing the faulty landing gear component was complicated and time-consuming due to sanctions imposed on Russia.

This is not the only problematic incident involving Centrum Air. In September, two Uzbek citizens were stranded at Istanbul airport after the airline sold two tickets for the same seat. The Competition Committee intervened at the time and helped restore the passengers’ rights.

In addition, social media users have reported multiple cases of Centrum Air flights being delayed or not operated as scheduled, forcing passengers to change their travel plans.