Civil Aviation - The Times Of Central Asia

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international flights

Turkmenistan Airlines Increases International Flights

Turkmenistan Airlines is increasing the frequency of several international flights under a revised schedule that took effect on October 25. “Direct flights from the capital to Seoul will double from one to two flights per week. On the Italian route to Milan, flight frequency will increase from two to three flights per week,” the state-run Turkmenistan News Portal said before the new schedule took effect. “Regular flights on the Ashgabat–Kazan route will increase from four to six flights per week. Additionally, air service to Istanbul will be expanded, with total flight frequency reaching 13 flights per week compared to the previous 12,” the news site reported. It said the updated schedule, which includes return flights to Ashgabat International Airport, is aimed at meeting growing demand for air travel and is another step “in integrating the country's civil aviation infrastructure into the global transport network.” At the same time, the number of flights to New Delhi was scheduled to be reduced from three to two per week, according to Turkmen media. The flight frequency on other routes, including Beijing, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, London, and Frankfurt, is unchanged under the new schedule. Turkmenistan has invested in airport infrastructure and seeks to attract more international carriers. In August, Air Belgium made its first cargo flight to Ashgabat International Airport as Turkmenistan aims to establish itself as an air cargo hub between Asia and Europe. Elsewhere in Central Asia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have taken particularly robust steps to develop their international profiles in civil aviation. Early this month, the lower house of Tajikistan’s parliament ratified an air transport agreement between the Tajik government and the United Arab Emirates that would allow more flights between the two countries and help develop Tajikistan’s role in international aviation.

Civil Aviation

Kazakhstan ICAO Develop Civil Aviation Master Plan Through 2050

Kazakhstan is working with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to develop a master plan for the country's aviation industry through 2050. The country aims to expand its international route network and increase air cargo traffic by capitalizing on its location between Europe and Asia. Saltanat Tompiyeva, chair of Kazakhstan's Civil Aviation Committee, announced the plan at the New Silk Way 2026 transport and logistics forum in Astana. In the first nine months of 2026, Kazakh airlines carried 12.4 million passengers, while the country's airports handled 136,500 tons of cargo. Kazakhstan's international route network covers 31 countries and 137 destinations. Since the beginning of the year, 24 new routes having been launched from Kazakhstan, including flights connecting Almaty with Chongqing and Warsaw, and Astana with Ulaanbaatar. According to Tompiyeva, the master plan will establish a long-term development framework for the aviation sector. To support domestic cargo carriers, Kazakhstan has introduced import incentives for certain categories of aircraft and intends to expand their access to international markets. Several airport development projects were also presented at the forum. Astana International Airport plans to build a second runway and expand its cargo infrastructure by 2035. There are also plans to build a second airport in Astana. In September, authorities signed a framework agreement with Singapore's Changi Airports International to cooperate on building the new airport and developing the existing one. Meanwhile, Aktau has plans for an aviation and logistics hub with projected investment of $400 million to $500 million and Karaganda Airport is developing the QarGo Hub project and aims to increase cargo throughput to 61,000 tons in 2026. The city is also home to Alatau Air Cargo, an airline established as KTZ Air Cargo in late 2025 and renamed in June 2026, which is preparing to launch cargo flights. SCAT Airlines also presented 12 investment projects to develop its hub in Shymkent, including airport infrastructure expansion and the establishment of aircraft maintenance facilities. Kazakhstan also plans to double its fleet of aircraft operated by Kazakh airlines by 2030.

UAE Aviation Agreement

Tajikistan’s Parliament Ratifies Air Transport Deal with UAE

The lower house of Tajikistan’s parliament has approved an air transport agreement between the Tajik government and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that would allow more flights between the two countries and help develop Tajikistan’s role in international aviation. The agreement was signed in Dushanbe on July 17, 2025, and ratified by the lower house, or Majlisi Namoyandagon, on October 1 this year, according to the state Khovar news agency. Khovar said the deal will help Tajikistan become a “transit country” and expand travel opportunities for Tajik citizens. The agency expects it to promote trade and tourism and create “favorable conditions for attracting tourists, entrepreneurs, and investors, including from the Gulf countries.” Habibullo Nazarzoda, director of Tajikistan’s Civil Aviation Agency, told parliamentarians that the agreement “provides a legal basis for establishing and increasing the number of flights, as well as opening new flights to other cities between the two countries,” according to Khovar. The agency noted that the accord between the two countries provides for the development of air links “beyond their territories,” and is in line with Tajikistan's aim of becoming a transit country with expanded connections to international markets. Dubai is one of the world’s biggest transit hubs. The agreement last year followed Tajikistan's introduction of an “Open Skies” policy that lifted many market restrictions as a way to encourage competition, with the aim of generating better prices for passengers, more efficient service, and route diversification. Tajikistan and the UAE have already built up their air links, with flydubai increasing its flights between Dubai and Dushanbe from three a week to seven a week last year. Additionally, in August and September this year, Tajik national carrier Somon Air received delivery of two Boeing 737 MAX aircraft from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise in a leasing arrangement. The vote in the lower house of Tajikistan’s parliament completes the ratification process for the agreement with the UAE. An additional vote in the upper house, or Majlisi Milli, is not required. Under the law, the agreement would then appear in official publications.

Transport Digitalization

Kazakhstan Rolls Out AI Tools Across Its Transport Networks

Kazakhstan is turning to artificial intelligence to help decide where its airlines should fly and which roads need repair, while other systems aim to move freight across its borders faster. The projects are part of a series of government digital systems intended to increase the country’s role as a regional transport hub. Air One of the most prominent projects is Echelon Alpha. The platform analyzes passenger demand and competition between aviation hubs to assess the economics of individual routes. It has already identified around 30 promising routes that could generate additional direct or transit passenger traffic for Kazakhstan. The full list has not been made public, although its developers have cited a potential Hyderabad–Astana–Moscow connection as an example of a route modeled by the system. Kazakhstan’s favorable location between China and Europe does not automatically turn Astana and Almaty into international aviation hubs. They have to compete for transit traffic with airports in Baku and Istanbul, as well as those in the Gulf states. According to Kazakhstan’s Transport Ministry, the model processed data covering around 200 million flights over the past five years, along with approximately 170 airline reports. It also combines geomarketing data with information from open and commercial sources. Its claimed forecasting accuracy is up to 90%. “Echelon Alpha uses artificial intelligence to analyze market dynamics in real time and provide a basis for fast, accurate solutions,” said Echelon Alpha founder Rakhman Asambayev in an interview with Forbes Kazakhstan. The system assesses the commercial viability of new routes and their potential effect on the economy. Its developers estimate that the proposed network could have an annual economic impact of around $153 million, although the figure has not been independently verified. Kazakhstan is also introducing biometric Q-Gate terminals at its airports. They verify passport data against facial biometrics in 15 to 50 seconds, four to five times faster than standard checks, according to government estimates. Road Launched around two months ago, e-Joldar uses AI to track road conditions and repair spending, while also collecting data on the quality of construction materials. More than 25,000 miles of national roads have already been digitized. By the end of the year, monitoring is expected to cover the country’s entire road network of around 115,000 miles. Smart Cargo may have a more immediate effect on international freight operators. The platform combines data from 58 information systems in a single digital portal. Authorities say operators can access cargo information through a QR code. AI checks documentation and identifies the necessary permits, while the platform helps determine routes and tracks shipments. The government says Smart Cargo has increased border-crossing speeds by 30% and cut carrier waiting times by a factor of 10. These figures are based on government estimates. Rail On the rail network, digitalization is being paired with major capacity expansion as Kazakhstan pursues its transit ambitions, including through the Middle Corridor. KinetiX performs contactless diagnostics of rolling stock. Government figures indicate that it has reduced technical inspection times by 30% and manual measurements...

Aviation

Uzbekistan Turns to Georgia and Iraq as Jet Fuel Demand Rises 27%

Uzbekistan says it has arranged aviation fuel imports from Georgia, Iraq, and other countries as changes in regional air traffic drive up demand. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's office said on August 3 that demand for aviation fuel will reach an estimated 375,000 metric tons from July through December, 27% higher than in the same period in 2025. The government linked the increase to more flights through Central Asia and a rise in services to Uzbekistan, according to an official statement. “Most of this demand will be met by domestic oil refineries,” the president’s office said, adding that alternative import channels, including supplies from Georgia and Iraq, had been established in response to export restrictions imposed by certain partner countries. The statement did not identify the countries imposing the restrictions. It also gave no details about suppliers, import volumes, prices, delivery routes, or whether shipments from Georgia and Iraq have begun. Batumi Oil Terminal resumed handling European-produced aviation fuel in July, while Georgia’s Kulevi refinery does not plan to begin producing aviation kerosene until 2027. Uzbekistan has not said whether the supplies listed as coming from Georgia are produced there or re-exported through the country. State-owned Uzbekneftegaz aims to produce 310,000 tons of aviation fuel in 2026. This is only the company’s production target, not Uzbekistan’s total domestic output. The government has not said how much of the country’s aviation fuel demand will be met by Uzbekneftegaz, other domestic producers, or imports. Uzbekistan's airports handled 64,831 flights during the first half of 2026, up 8% from a year earlier. Passenger traffic rose 16% to more than 8.15 million, according to Uzbekistan Airports data. International services accounted for 47,371 flights and nearly 6.7 million passengers, with Tashkent International Airport handling 40,283 flights, up 7%, while passenger traffic increased 17% to 5.36 million. Tourism is also adding to passenger demand. Uzbekistan recorded 6,565,410 foreign visits for tourism purposes in January-June, up 24.9% from a year earlier, according to the National Statistics Committee. The increase forms part of a wider regional travel boom. However, almost three-quarters of those came from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan, which together accounted for 4.9 million arrivals. The total therefore includes substantial land-border traffic and cannot be read solely as an air-passenger figure. Geopolitical disruption is another factor driving demand. The war involving Iran has constricted a main Europe-Asia aviation corridor and forced airlines away from high-risk airspace. Some services are now using a northern arc through the Caucasus and Central Asia, increasing the value of the region’s airspace. Pressure from the north predates the Iran conflict. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many Western carriers have avoided Russian airspace. Uzbekistan Airways began routing Europe services around Russia and Belarus in January 2025. Its Tashkent-Munich route grew by 307 kilometers, adding 30 to 40 minutes to the journey time. Uzbekistan already had a growing air transit base. Uzaeronavigation served 188,000 flights in 2023, including 143,000 by foreign airlines. More than 74,000 flights were handled in Uzbek airspace during January-April...

Civil Aviation

China Launches Beijing-Bishkek Flights as Kyrgyzstan-China Links Grow

Air China, China’s flag carrier, has launched scheduled passenger flights between Beijing and Bishkek, adding another direct link as Kyrgyzstan and China expand economic and transport ties. According to OJSC Airports of Kyrgyzstan, the new Beijing-Bishkek-Beijing service will operate three times a week. Flights are scheduled for Mondays and Fridays, with an additional service on Sundays. Airbus A321 aircraft will operate the route. The airport operator described the launch as a milestone for Kyrgyzstan’s civil aviation sector, saying the arrival of one of Asia’s largest airlines reflects the country’s growing appeal to international carriers and opens new opportunities for travel between Kyrgyzstan and China. The inaugural flight coincided with the 17th meeting of the Kyrgyz-Chinese Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, held in Bishkek on July 17. The meeting was co-chaired by Erlist Akunbekov, Deputy Chairman of Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers, and Ling Ji, China’s Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy China International Trade Representative. Discussions covered trade and transport, including logistics. Energy and agriculture were also on the agenda, as were industry and finance. Akunbekov said bilateral economic cooperation had entered a new phase, pointing to several major infrastructure projects. "We have begun implementing large-scale projects such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. The third border crossing, Bedel, has opened, and construction has begun on the Barskoon-Bedel-Uchturfan-Aksu highway," he said. Construction of the Barskoon-Bedel highway began in August 2025. The road will form part of a future transport corridor linking Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul Region with Aksu Prefecture in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region via the Bedel Pass. Once completed, the route is expected to shorten the distance between Aksu and Kyrgyzstan by around 500 kilometers and reduce freight transit times by at least 12 hours. The new Beijing route comes amid an expansion of air services between the two countries. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Aero Nomad Airlines will launch direct flights between Bishkek and Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, on August 3. The new air services add to expanding road links and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project. Officials expect the additional connections to support trade and tourism while making business travel easier. According to Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Liu Jiangping, bilateral trade reached a record $27.2 billion in 2025, up 20% from the previous year.