Kazakhstan’s airlines plan to increase international flights and open new routes by the end of this year.
Kazakhstan’s flag carrier Air Astana plans to launch direct flights on the Shymkent-Jeddah route in September, the Kazakh Transport Ministry said in a response to Kazinform on Aug. 21.
The flights will be operated on an A320 aircraft twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Air Astana may also resume direct passenger flights to Malaysia, with a frequency of three flights a week on the Almaty-Kuala Lumpur route starting in December.
Air Astana and Japan Airlines announced the signing of a codeshare agreement on Aug. 22. The agreement will allow both airlines to place their codes on a new route from Almaty to Tokyo, scheduled for spring 2026.
Also, SCAT Airlines will launch Shymkent-Xian flights starting on Nov. 1.
The ministry also intends to launch flights to New York in the medium term.