NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan has allowed more international air travel as it launches and increases flights to Montenegro, the United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and the Netherlands, announced the country’s Civil Aviation Committee.
The country has been steadily resuming flights and easing travel restrictions since last year. Photo credit: nn-airport.kz
From May 15, flights will be launched on the Almaty – Podgorica – Almaty route with a frequency of five flights a week for the Kazakh side and Nur-Sultan – Podgorica – Nur-Sultan.
The flights were also increased to the United Arab Emirates, a favorite destination for Kazakh tourists.
Starting May 10, Kazakhstan increases the number of flights to Dubai from Almaty from five to seven flights a week and from Nur-Sultan from three to five flights a week. The flights are operated by the country’s Air Astana airline and Emirati low-coster Fly Dubai.
A new route from Almaty to Tamchy in Kyrgyzstan will be launched May 15 with seven flights a week from the Kazakh side.
Kazakhstan’s low-cost airline Fly Arystan will also open flights to Bishkek from Turkistan starting May 31. Regular flights to Bishkek will be operated on the Airbus A320 aircraft twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays.
For those seeking a trip to Uzbekistan, one more route from Almaty to Samarkand will make it possible starting May 15. The flights will be operated twice a week.
Kazakhstan’s Air Astana will also gradually replace its flights on the Atyrau – Frankfurt – Atyrau route to Atyrau – Amsterdam – Atyrau route with one flight per week at the initial stage and with plans to increase the number of flights to twice per week, as the Netherlands eases its restrictions.
Next week, Turkish Airlines will launch flights from Turkistan to Istanbul. The tickets are on sale.
New regulations regarding entry to Almaty and Nur-Sultan airports
Starting May 12, all passengers departing from Nur-Sultan’s international airport will have to install the Ashyq mobile app to enter the airport.
The app, which is integrated with the data from the Kazakh Ministry of Healthcare, shows a person’s status ranging from green (no movement restrictions, recent negative COVID-19 test) and blue (no movement restrictions) to yellow (contact with an infected person) and red (positive COVID-19). A person needs to fill in her or his individual identification number.
The same regulation will be in effect in Almaty international airport from May 21.
The mobile app has been developed to allow businesses to continue their work amid the pandemic restrictions and minimize the spread of the virus. The system has so far revealed around 1,200 citizens with red status and 541 with yellow status trying to enter the facilities.
Though the app has raised concerns about the privacy of personal information, the app is used by more than 817,000 citizens, according to the Atamaken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs.
Starting July 1, vaccination data will also be integrated into the system, and citizens who passed a full course of vaccination will be identified with a green status.
