Kazakhstan's aviation industry has been growing rapidly over the years. Airlines such as Air Astana, FlyArystan, Qazaq Air, and SCAT Airlines have expanded their fleets and route networks. A recent government meeting revealed that new services from Kazakh cities to the United States, India, China, Singapore, and Japan are on the cards to begin in the coming years.

Who will operate these flights, where will they go, and when can we expect them to start? That's what we will take a look at here.

International Growth

In a December 19 government meeting, Kazakhstan's Minister of Transport, Marat Karabayev, announced that the country is looking to launch flights to various international cities in 2024 and 2025. The Prime Minister's press service reported that the cities mentioned include New York, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo. A new service to Mumbai has already been confirmed. Kazakh low-cost carrier FlyArystan will inaugurate a route from Almaty to Mumbai on January 4.

Asian low-cost giant Air Asia announced a new service between Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Almaty beginning in March 2024. This service will be operated by long-haul division Air Asia X using the Airbus A330-300. Air Asia X is also considering a fifth-freedom route from Almaty to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. While the exact routing has yet to be confirmed, Air Asia X would be allowed to carry passengers solely between Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia, irrespective of being a Malaysian airline.

Such fifth-freedom rights might become more common in Kazakhstan as its "open sky" aviation policy has been extended until December 26, 2027. The policy removes all restrictions on the number of flights and provides foreign airlines with fifth-freedom rights on certain routes where Kazakh airlines do not operate.

According to a government report, this open sky policy “...helps to attract new foreign carriers, develop competition between air carriers, open more international routes, reduce the cost of air tickets, develop tourism and increase the transport accessibility of Kazakh cities.”

Kazakhstan currently sees 567 flights per week to 110 destinations across 28 countries. Such services mainly operate from the country's two busiest airports: Almaty (ALA) and Astana (NQZ).

Kazakhstan to JFK?

Historically, there have never been nonstop flights between Kazakhstan and the United States, nor have any Kazakh or American carriers served each other's countries with regular service. However, Minister Karabayev has noted that a new service to New York is under consideration. If such a route were to be opened, it's worth pondering who would operate it.

Kazakhstan's flag carrier, Air Astana, seems to be the most likely option. The airline presently serves 67 destinations with a fleet of 29 aircraft. In terms of widebody aircraft, Air Astana operates a fleet of three Boeing 767-300ERs, which are among the world's youngest passenger 767s currently in service. The carrier also has orders for three Boeing 787-9s due for delivery in 2025. These aircraft could open up a weekly or multi-weekly service to New York.

Air Astana's fleet will change slightly in the next few years. The carrier plans to sell its three 767s once the 787s come in. Two A321LRs are also expected to join the fleet, which will further help the airline cope with removing the 767s. Air Astana's longest route is Astana to Frankfurt, which is around seven hours. At present, this is operated by the 767.

The airline's other longer routes, such as those to Jeddah, Bangkok, Seoul, and Beijing, average around five to six hours. All these routes, except the one to Frankfurt, are regularly operated by the A321neo fleet. It's reasonable to assume that the A321LR will begin operating the Frankfurt route and, perhaps, even more, new European routes. This means the possibility of New York service starting with the new 787s is indeed present.

Growing Aviation Market

Kazakhstan's aviation industry continues to grow and improve. New destinations, airlines, and aircraft are coming to the country. Kazakh airlines have grown in prestige over the years too. Air Astana consistently ranks as a four-star airline and the best airline in Central Asia. Similarly, its low-cost subsidiary, FlyArystan, is one of the only four-star budget airlines in the world.

The safety level of Kazakhstan's airlines has improved, too. According to a 2021 audit by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Kazakhstan's flight safety level increased from 73 to 84%. That's 15% higher than the global average in 2021.

In an interview with The Astana Times, the Chairman of the Committee of Civil Aviation, Talgat Lastayev, reported that Kazakh airlines carried 9.9 million people in the first 11 months of 2022, representing a 15% increase compared to 2021. The future of aviation in Kazakhstan looks promising as the country aspires to grow its nonstop links with the rest of the world.