Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — A Centrum Air flight attendant was at fault in an incident with a passenger at Samara airport and has admitted her fault, Ma’murjon Mamadaliyev, First Deputy CEO of Uzbek private holding Centrum Air/My Freighter, said on his X account.
“Overall, the flight attendant was wrong, and she admitted her fault. Today, we arranged a meeting with the passenger. The airline has fully reviewed the situation. In connection with the incident, all of the passenger’s transfer expenses will be reimbursed by the airline,” he wrote.
According to Mamadaliyev, the flight attendant speaks Uzbek well and had worked for another airline in Uzbekistan for many years. “There have never been any complaints about her work. She only received expressions of gratitude. She and the airline regret what happened,” he said.
The previous day, a video showing a Centrum Air passenger at Samara airport was widely circulated on Instagram. Blogger komil_vlogs said he was not allowed to board flight C6468 from Samara to Tashkent on 5 October after asking the flight attendant to speak to him in Uzbek.
Earlier, the Centrum Air press service presented a different version of events. The company said the passenger was denied boarding because of his behaviour on board, rather than because he had asked to communicate in Uzbek. According to the airline, while other passengers were boarding, the man “behaved aggressively towards the flight attendant”: he made demands in a rude manner, insulted the employee and interfered with her work.
“Such behaviour could have posed a threat to safety and order on board, so the aircraft commander decided not to allow the passenger to fly,” the company said at the time, describing the decision as justified. Centrum Air also said all circumstances of the incident had been documented and that the airline was considering contacting law enforcement authorities.
The press service stressed that all Centrum Air flight attendants speak Uzbek, Russian and English and communicate with passengers in the language that is convenient for them.
Later, the blogger said he had bought a ticket to Moscow, from where he planned to fly to Tashkent or Samarkand. He also said he intended to contact the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Russia and seek justice after returning. At the same time, the blogger noted that Centrum Air flight attendants generally communicate correctly, but made negative comments about female flight attendants. Following the post, insulting comments targeting the airline employee and calls to boycott the carrier appeared in the comments.
