SINGAPORE, 4 JULY 2024: Air Astana will increase flights between Kazakhstan and China following agreements reached at the meeting of the China-Central Asia Aviation Co-operation group held in Xi’an, China last month.
At the meetings in late June, Designated carriers from Kazakhstan received approval to operate up to 52 passenger flights per week during the current summer season, with the figure increasing to up to 62 flights per week starting from the 2025 summer season.
In addition to existing destinations in China, Kazakh carriers are now allowed to operate flights to Guangzhou, China’s third-largest city and largest commercial hub. Designated airlines also received the right to operate unlimited flights to Sanya, Haikou, and Qionghai on Hainan Island using the fifth, sixth, and seventh freedom rights.
Kazakhstan is among the few countries in the world, along with the US and several European countries, that have rights to operate flights to China using fifth freedom rights. Kazakh airlines have also received permission to operate cargo flights to China without restrictions on quantity and direction.
Air Astana currently operates scheduled daily flights from Almaty to Beijing, from Astana to Beijing three times a week, and from Almaty to Urumqi in western China five times a week.
