ALMATY – Air Astana has announced a major expansion of its route network for autumn with a mix of resumed services and increased frequencies to popular destinations in the Middle East and Asia.
Photo credit: Air Astana
From September, the airline has restarted flights from Almaty to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with a twice-weekly service and from Shymkent to Jeddah with one weekly flight, reported the company’s press service on Oct. 2.
From late October, flights from Almaty to Medina will also resume twice a week, while services from Shymkent to Medina will operate once weekly. Passengers from the capital will benefit from alternating flights to Jeddah and Medina every two weeks, and new connections will link Aktau with both Jeddah and Medina, also on an alternating biweekly schedule.
These routes are expected to make religious pilgrimages more convenient for Kazakh travelers, while also expanding opportunities for business and leisure trips. Passengers are reminded that a visa is required to enter Saudi Arabia, which can be obtained online via the official Saudi eVisa portal.
Increased frequencies to popular hubs
Air Astana is also bringing back flights to visa-free tourist hotspots. From late October, services from Almaty to Malé in the Maldives will run three times weekly, with frequencies increasing to five during peak holiday periods such as New Year and Nauryz.
The Almaty–Phu Quoc route in Vietnam will operate five times per week, rising to daily flights in December, while connections between Astana and Phu Quoc will be available three times weekly.
From late October, services between Almaty and Dubai will increase from seven to 12 flights per week, while flights between Astana and Dubai will grow from seven to 10 per week. Air Astana will also boost frequencies to Southeast Asia, with Almaty–Bangkok flights rising from four to seven per week, and the Almaty–Phuket route also expanding from four to seven weekly flights.
All new and resumed flights will be operated by Airbus A320neo and A321LR aircraft.
