NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan is steadily resuming air travel and increasing flights to foreign countries due to a remarkable improvement in the epidemiological situation and the easing of quarantine restrictions, reported the Kazakh Civil Aviation Committee on its Telegram channel on May 12.
Air Astana national carrier. Photo credit: flylowcost.com
The Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development recently announced that flights to European Union countries will be increased soon. In the light of this statement, Air Astana, the national carrier, raised the number of flights on the Nur-Sultan-Frankfurt route from five to six flights on May 15, while an increase from six to seven flights per week is expected starting June 1, according to the Kazakh Civil Aviation Committee.
In addition to this, Germany’s Lufthansa airline is expected to increase regular flights on the route Frankfurt-Nur-Sultan/Almaty from four to five flights per week starting on June 2 and up to seven flights on А330/А340 aircraft from July 4.
Overall, the total number of flights between Kazakhstan and Germany will reach 15 flights per week, including the Uralsk-Frankfurt route, in early July.
Following the May 10 meeting between the leaders of Turkey and Kazakhstan in Ankara, flights between the two countries are expected to double. From May 13, 124 flights per week are expected, said Kazakh Minister of Industry and Infrastructural Development Kairbek Uskenbayev.
It was also reported that Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan agreed to increase air travel and open new routes between the countries as a part of the ninth meeting between the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) Ministers of Transport in Khiva on May 12.
Apart from air travel, the country seeks to strengthen economic, cultural, and tourist ties with foreign countries through the railway service.
On May 12, Kazakhstan’s Temir Zholy (KTZ) national railway company reported that it was resuming passenger traffic with Uzbekistan, which was suspended two years ago due to the outbreak of COVID-19. The passenger train №647/648 started to operate on the Nukus – Beineu – Nukus route three times a week on May 15, while Talgo №1/2 began to carry passengers on the route Almaty-Tashkent three times a week on May 16.
Earlier on April 18, KTZ reported that the passenger train №625/626 started to operate between Atyrau and Russia’s Astrakhan on April 20.
