Kazakhstan and China Agree to Expand Scheduled Air Services

Kazakhstan and China have agreed to significantly expand scheduled air services between the two countries following aviation consultations held in Beijing between Kazakhstan’s Civil Aviation Committee and the Civil Aviation Administration of China. According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport, the talks focused on bilateral cooperation in civil aviation. The two sides agreed to increase the number of scheduled passenger flights operated by airlines of both countries from 124 to 152 flights per week. They also expanded the list of major Chinese destinations available for air services with Kazakhstan to 11 cities, adding Chongqing, one of southwestern China’s largest industrial, logistics, and transportation hubs, with a population of more than 32 million. The consultations also covered plans to launch direct flights between Astana and Shanghai, with airlines from both countries expected to participate. Another key issue was the creation of a third international air corridor between Kazakhstan and China. The new route is expected to increase the capacity of regional airspace, optimize flight paths, reduce congestion on existing air routes, and support further growth in passenger and cargo traffic between the two countries. The parties also discussed the allocation of airport slots for Kazakh airlines at Chinese airports, expanded access to Chinese airspace for Kazakh carriers operating international transit flights, and the conclusion of an interagency agreement on civil aviation search-and-rescue cooperation. “The two sides confirmed their mutual interest in further developing cooperation in civil aviation and agreed to continue joint efforts aimed at expanding air connectivity, improving transport links, and strengthening the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and China,” the Ministry of Transport said. The agreement comes as Kazakhstan continues to expand its international aviation network. Earlier this month, Kazakhstan’s low-cost carrier FlyArystan announced the launch of a new Atyrau-Batumi route to Georgia beginning July 14, with weekly flights operated by Airbus A320 aircraft. From August 2026, Turkish carrier AJet will also increase frequencies on both the Astana-Ankara and Almaty-Ankara routes from two to seven weekly flights. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Hong Kong’s flagship carrier Cathay Pacific plans to launch scheduled cargo services to Astana in August 2026, followed by regular passenger flights between Hong Kong and Almaty in January 2027.