ASTANA — The first international passenger flight in six years departed from Petropavl International Airport on July 2. Operated by SCAT Airlines, the charter flight connected Petropavl with Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Flights on this route will operate every ten days using Boeing 737 aircraft.
Photo credit: SCAT Airlines. Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times.
The resumption of international flights from Kazakhstan’s northernmost airport marks a significant milestone for both the aviation and tourism sectors, as well as for the North Kazakhstan Region. Petropavl’s last international departures ceased in 2019, reported Orbis Kazakhstan.
Extensive preparation preceded the launch of the new route. The airport upgraded its infrastructure to meet international aviation standards and legal requirements, including facilities for Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee (KNB) border services and customs control.
According to SCAT Airlines, Egypt remains one of the most popular holiday destinations for travelers from Kazakhstan. The introduced route expands the options for direct travel for residents of the region, reducing the need to travel to major airports in neighboring areas.
Petropavl International Airport is managed under a trust agreement by International Airport Kyzyl-Zhar, signed in 2022 for a five-year term. The airport’s operations are overseen by Orbis Kazakhstan through a trustee representative. Orbis took over management of the airport as part of a socially significant project to restore operations after the airport’s operator certificate was revoked. Since the transition, Orbis Kazakhstan has invested over 1.2 billion tenge (US$2.3 million) in the airport. In 2024, the airport served 126,879 passengers.
Founded in 2001 by Kazakhstan’s entrepreneurs Farrukh and Sukhrab Mahmudov, Orbis Kazakhstan is a diversified group with assets in automotive manufacturing, construction, equipment distribution, oilfield services, agribusiness, and more. The holding reported a total turnover of $1.5 billion last year.
