ALMATY – Kazakhstan plans to launch direct flights from Astana to Tokyo by the end of 2026 and to New York in 2027 as part of a broader push to transform the country into a major regional aviation and transit hub, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said during a government meeting on May 19 focused on the development and digitalization of the aviation sector.
Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held a government meeting on May 19 focused on the development and digitalization of the aviation sector. Photo credit: PM’s press service.
Direct flights between Kazakhstan and Japan were initially expected to be launched in March this year, but the timeline was later revised. According to officials, the Astana–Tokyo route is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2026.
The announcement came as Kazakhstan’s aviation industry continues to expand rapidly. Over the first four months of 2026, Kazakh airlines transported more than 4 million passengers, while airports maintained stable domestic traffic despite reductions in some international routes.
“New international routes, especially to the European Union and the United States, must be opened faster and with competitive ticket prices,” Bektenov said, instructing the Ministry of Transport and Air Astana to launch direct flights from Astana to Tokyo and New York and later expand connections to European capitals including London, Paris, Rome and Vienna.
Kazakhstan among world’s top 20 aviation safety systems
Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev said Kazakhstan has fully established the institutional framework necessary for civil aviation development and now ranks among the world’s top 20 countries in aviation oversight according to ICAO assessments.
According to him, Kazakh airlines carried 15 million passengers in 2025, while the country’s airports served 32 million passengers and handled 173,000 tons of cargo.
To further improve safety oversight, Kazakhstan has established a new Aviation Accident Investigation Center and attracted leading international experts to the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan. Together with ICAO, authorities are also preparing a long-term aviation development master plan through 2050, expected to be adopted later this year.
In September, Kazakhstan is expected to receive a visit from experts from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s International Aviation Safety Assessment (FAA IASA) program as part of efforts to secure FAA Category 1 status, a requirement for direct flights to the U.S.
Michael Daniel, head of the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan, said the country aims to obtain the status by November 2026.
“These measures will help Kazakhstan maintain an effective system of state control and supervision of flight safety,” he said.
Over the past year and first quarter of 2026, aviation authorities also conducted more than 1,200 inspections, resulting in the suspension or termination of operations for seven airlines, four training centers and two maintenance organizations for regulatory violations.
Air navigation infrastructure to be fully modernized
Kazakhstan also plans to fully modernize its air navigation infrastructure over the next five years. A key part of the effort includes a contract with a major U.S. corporation to upgrade the country’s air traffic management system.
Transit flights through Kazakhstan have quadrupled over the past five years, according to Sauranbayev, highlighting the country’s growing role as a Eurasian air corridor.
To support domestic connectivity, the government allocated 6.4 billion tenge (US$12.6 million) to subsidize 24 socially important regional routes. Authorities are also proposing legislative amendments allowing regional governments to subsidize interregional flights and exempt domestic scheduled flights from VAT.
According to officials, Kazakhstan’s aircraft fleet will expand by nine planes this year, three of which have already been purchased.
Air Astana CEO Ibrahim Canliel said the airline increased capacity by 14% in 2025, mainly on long-haul international routes, while passenger traffic rose by 8%. The airline’s fleet grew from 57 to 62 aircraft in 2025 and is expected to reach 67 aircraft next year. Air Astana has also placed orders for up to 50 Airbus aircraft and 15 Boeing planes to support future expansion.
After launching 25 new routes in 2025, the airline plans to open 16 additional destinations this year.
New airports and tourism expansion
Kazakhstan is simultaneously investing in airport infrastructure to support tourism and regional development.
New airports are under construction in Katon-Karagai and Zaisan in East Kazakhstan, Kenderli in the Mangystau Region and Arkalyk in the Kostanai Region. Modernization work is also underway at Pavlodar Airport.
Bektenov instructed regional authorities to ensure all projects are completed on schedule this year.
The new Kenderli airport, located 13 kilometers from the Caspian Sea coast in the Mangystau Region, is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2026. The 56.9-billion-tenge (US$112 million) project will initially feature a 2,200-meter runway capable of serving Q-400, ATR and CRJ aircraft before later expanding to accommodate Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 jets. Officials plan to launch nine new domestic and international routes from Kenderli.
In East Kazakhstan, construction of the Zaisan airport is 76% complete, while Katon-Karagai airport has reached 55% readiness. Authorities expect both facilities to begin operations later this year and increase the region’s passenger traffic by 100,000 annually.
Earlier, Civil Aviation Committee Chair Saltanat Tompiyeva told The Astana Times that the country’s long-term competitiveness in aviation depends on trust in the system – safety, regulation and predictable rules, as authorities seek to strengthen international connectivity and align with global aviation standards.
