Kazakhstan Life & Culture - The Times Of Central Asia

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Air Transport

From Alatau to Almaty by Air: How Kazakhstan’s First Air Taxi Service Will Operate

The Almaty region is preparing to introduce a groundbreaking new mode of transport for Kazakhstan: electric air taxis. While the project remains in the development and testing phase, key details about routes, aircraft, and the projected launch timeline have already been outlined. The first air taxi routes are expected to connect the newly developing city of Alatau with Almaty and other settlements across the region. The aircraft under consideration for this initiative is the Joby Aviation S4, an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) model developed by U.S.-based Joby Aviation. Test flights are scheduled for 2026. Alatau Advance Air Group, a private company, has been designated as the air mobility operator for the Alatau region. In collaboration with partners from the U.S., South Korea, China, and Italy, the company is working on aircraft research, infrastructure planning, and building a testing ecosystem to support future operations. Joby Aviation, one of the global leaders in eVTOL technology, has been named a strategic partner. The selected S4 model is in the final stages of certification by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and has already undergone real-world testing. The aircraft is designed to carry four passengers and one pilot. These capabilities will allow the air taxi service to cover both urban routes within the Almaty agglomeration and longer intercity routes across the wider region. To accommodate operations, a network of vertiports, dedicated airfields for vertical take-off aircraft, is planned for Alatau, Almaty, and other key regional locations. The project is currently in the design phase, with testing sites under consideration. Demonstration flights are slated for 2026, with commercial services expected to launch once aircraft certification by the FAA is finalized and validated by Kazakhstan’s aviation authorities. “Air taxis will become an innovative form of transport that will provide fast connections between Alatau, Almaty, and other cities in the region,” the Almaty mayor’s office commented. Flight pricing is expected to be announced following testing and preparations for the commercial rollout. The air taxi concept was first introduced in October 2024 at a development forum in South Korea focused on the Alatau project. The initiative is being led by Alatau Advance Air Group, founded in March 2025. The company is connected via Caspian Integrity to entrepreneur and former senator Yuri Tskhai, one of the key investors behind Alatau City. In November, a strategic agreement was signed in the U.S. between Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Digital Development and AI, Joby Aero, Alatau Advance Air Group, and entrepreneur Vyacheslav Kim. The deal includes the purchase of eVTOL aircraft valued at approximately $300 million. Joby Aviation continues to be a major player in the global eVTOL industry, competing with major aerospace and automotive firms including Airbus, Boeing, Embraer, Honda, Hyundai, and Toyota.

Asian Winter Games

Almaty to Host 2029 Asian Winter Games

Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city nestled in the foothills of the Alatau Mountains, has been selected to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games, the country’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) has announced. The agreement was signed on February 6 in Milan, coinciding with the opening of the Winter Olympics. Almaty’s selection is credited largely to its robust existing sports infrastructure, much of which was developed for the 2011 Asian Winter Games, co-hosted by Almaty and Astana. Almaty also hosted the 2017 Winter Universiade, further demonstrating its capacity to stage major international sporting events. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports emphasized that the 2029 Games will rely on current facilities, avoiding the need for large-scale new construction. “The existing sports complexes allow competitions to be held in all sports included in the program of the Winter Asian Games,” the ministry said. The NOC of Kazakhstan noted that leveraging existing infrastructure and prior experience will ensure a cost-effective and efficient approach to hosting. Organizing a second edition of the Winter Asian Games is viewed as a strategic move to further develop Olympic sports in the country. “Hosting major international competitions, including the Asian Games, is of strategic importance for the country. It reflects the high level of trust placed in us by the international sports community and recognizes Kazakhstan’s potential,” said Gennady Golovkin, the head of the National Olympic Committee. He added that Almaty possesses all the necessary sports and urban infrastructure, eliminating the need for additional construction. Saudi Arabia had previously been awarded hosting rights for the 2029 Asian Winter Games but later postponed the event due to large-scale infrastructure developments and extended preparation timelines. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan placed fourth among 34 countries in the medal tally at the 2025 Asian Winter Games, securing 20 medals.

Podcast

Pannier and Hillard’s Spotlight on Central Asia: New Episode – Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Reform – Coming Sunday

As Managing Editor of The Times of Central Asia, I’m delighted that, in partnership with the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs, from October 19, we are the home of the Spotlight on Central Asia podcast. Chaired by seasoned broadcasters Bruce Pannier of RFE/RL’s long-running Majlis podcast and Michael Hillard of The Red Line, each fortnightly instalment will take you on a deep dive into the latest news, developments, security issues, and social trends across an increasingly pivotal region. This week, the team will take a deep dive into Kazakhstan's new draft constitution with guests Yevgeniy Zhovtis, a Kazakhstan human rights activist and director of the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and the Rule of Law, and Aiman Umarova, a prominent lawyer in Kazakhstan and a member of the constitutional commission.

Labor Laws

Kazakhstan Plans to Ban Dismissal of Single Parents Regardless of Gender

Kazakhstan’s lawmakers have proposed amendments to labor legislation that would prohibit the dismissal of single parents, regardless of gender. Currently, such legal protections apply only to single mothers. Yerlan Sairov, a deputy of the Mazhilis (the lower house of parliament), said the provision is part of a bill to amend and supplement the Labor Code. The bill proposes replacing the term “single mothers” with “single parents,” thereby extending protection from dismissal to single fathers raising children on their own. The Mazhilis has already approved the bill in its second reading and forwarded it to the Senate for consideration. The draft law also introduces significant reforms in pension rights. Under the proposed changes to the Social Code, time spent by non-working fathers caring for young children will be counted toward their length of service when calculating old-age pensions. This amendment follows a February 2025 ruling by the Constitutional Court, which found gender inequality in the previous legislation after a citizen filed a constitutional appeal. The bill covers a range of related areas. New provisions are being introduced into the Code on Public Health and the Healthcare System regarding the classification of occupational injuries. It also mandates the inclusion of rules on benefits and compensation, such as those related to workplace accidents, in collective labor agreements. Notably, occupational safety and health officers will be required to report directly to the head of the organization, thereby establishing management’s personal accountability for workplace conditions. On the government’s initiative, the draft law includes amendments to the Law “On Permits and Notifications,” introducing licensing requirements for the provision of special social services in the field of social protection. It also outlines specific types of production that cannot be halted during strikes. The bill expands the powers of the authorized labor body to approve procedures for providing employees with therapeutic and preventive nutrition. It further proposes setting permissible ratios between the highest and lowest salaries for a given profession or position within an organization, to be included in collective agreements. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the government is considering broader labor law reforms to address workforce shortages in key sectors. In January, lawmakers discussed lowering the retirement age for shepherds and herders amid a shortage of workers in rural areas.

Winter Olympic Games

Inspired by Golovkin, Young Kazakhstani Skier Heads to Winter Olympics

A 16-year-old Kazakhstani freestyle skier who won silver in the mixed team aerials event at the 2025 Asian Games is among athletes from Central Asia who will compete at the Olympic Games in Italy this month. With a 36-member team, Kazakhstan is sending the largest contingent from the region to the games, which run from February 6 to February 22 in Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo in the Dolomites and other locations in northern Italy. The youngest member of the team is Asylkhan Assan, who also took tenth place for Kazakhstan at a World Cup event in China a year ago and has competed in other international competitions. “The most important thing is to perform well. To fully demonstrate my potential and not make mistakes during the jump,” Assan said in an interview posted on the the Olympic.kz website. The teen athlete said he got into sports when he was five years old and, with the encouragement of his grandmother, followed his sister into freestyle skiiing. The acrobatic sport features flips, twists and somersaults after skiiing off a steep jump and concludes with a hopefully clean landing on a downhill slope. “I had injuries during my career, but my family always supported me,” he said. “I did not break down physically or psychologically.” Assan said his role model is Gennady Golovkin, the former middleweight world champion from Kazakhstan, and that he used to wake up early to watch the boxer’s fights. Golovkin, head of Kazakhstan’s National Olympic Committee, was named president of World Boxing at the federation’s inaugural congress in Rome in November. Freestyle skiing emerged in the 1960s at a time of social change and a push for “more more freedom of expression, even in sports,” the Olympics organization said. It was “initially called ‘hotdogging’ because it involved a mix of acrobatic moves, aerials, and adrenaline,” it said. The International Ski Federation recognised freestyle as a discipline in 1979, introduced guidelines to make it safer and held the first events in the following year. It made its Olympic debut as a demonstration sport at the games in Calgary, Canada in 1988. The town of Livigno will host the freestyle skiiing and snowboarding events at this year’s Winter Olympics.

Kazakhstan Tennis

Kazakhstan’s Rybakina Wins Australian Open, Her Second Major

Elena Rybakina became the first player from Kazakhstan to win the Australian Open on Saturday, defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the final in Melbourne. Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, didn’t drop a set on her way to the final, capitalizing on her big serve and aggressive groundstrokes. She was down 0-3 in the third set against Sabalenka, but then won five consecutive games and closed out the match with an ace. She raised her arms in triumph and, after a brief embrace with the Belarusian at the net, jogged to her box to acknowledge her team. “Thank you so much to Kazakhstan,” Rybakina, 26, said in her victory speech, nodding in the direction of a group of fans in the stands. “I felt the support from that corner a lot.” The world No. 5 had lost to Sabalenka in three sets in the Australian Open Final in 2023. But Russia-born Rybakina defeated the world’s top player to win the WTA Finals in November after a year in which she won two WTA 500 titles but did not advance past the fourth round at any of the majors. “I just hope that we’re going to play many more finals together,” Rybakina said in Melbourne. Sabalenka has a head-to-head record of 8-6 over Rybakina.