ASTANA – Air Astana has introduced its winter flight schedule, adding new international destinations and increasing frequencies on popular holiday routes, while Vietnamese carrier Vietjet is expanding its network and offering promotional fares from $135 on flights from Almaty to Hanoi and Prague.
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Air Astana’s winter schedule, effective from Oct. 25 through March 27, 2027, includes new routes to Japan, Oman and Malaysia, alongside additional flights to popular destinations in Asia and the Middle East.
The airline will launch regular flights between Almaty and Tokyo’s Narita Airport on Nov. 30, operating twice a week. Direct flights between Astana and Bangkok will begin on Dec. 11, with departures on Tuesdays and Fridays, complementing daily services from Almaty.
Flights to Salalah, Oman, from Almaty and Astana began on Oct. 23. From Dec. 25 through March 27, 2027, Air Astana will also operate three weekly flights from Almaty to Langkawi, Malaysia.
The airline is increasing frequencies on several established holiday routes. From late October, flights from Almaty to Malé in the Maldives will operate six times a week, with daily departures during peak periods around New Year and Nauryz. Services to Phu Quoc, Vietnam, will run five times a week from Almaty, increasing to daily flights in December, while Astana will have three weekly flights to the island.
Flights from Almaty to Dubai will increase to 12 per week, while services from Astana will rise to 10 per week. Flights from Almaty to Phuket, Thailand, will increase to seven per week, rising to nine per week from early December. The airline will also continue services between Almaty and Shanghai and between Astana and Guangzhou.
In 2026, the Air Astana Group added eight regular and charter destinations from Astana: Guangzhou, Bangkok, Larnaca, Dalaman, Batumi, Issyk-Kul, Salalah and Yining. Together with the seven routes launched in 2025, the group’s network from the capital has expanded to 32 destinations. Weekly international flights from Astana have increased from 99 to 116.
“During the 2026–2027 winter season, Air Astana is expanding its international route network by launching flights to Tokyo, Oman and Langkawi. Increased frequencies to the Maldives, Phuket and Dubai will allow passengers to plan their winter holidays and festive travel more conveniently,” said Yerbolat Baisalykov, senior vice president for commercial planning and revenue management at Air Astana.
Meanwhile, Vietjet is offering one-way Eco fares starting at $135, including taxes and fees, on flights between Almaty and Hanoi and between Almaty and Prague.
The promotional fares are available for booking until 9 p.m. on Nov. 1 through the airline’s official website and mobile app. The offer applies to flights departing between Nov. 1 and March 31, 2027, according to the company’s press service.
After launching flights between Almaty and Hanoi and between Almaty and Prague earlier in October, Vietjet is further expanding its Asian network. The airline will introduce flights between Hanoi and Tainan and resume services between Ho Chi Minh City and Chiang Mai. Both routes will operate four round-trip flights per week.
Vietjet’s international network also includes services connecting Ho Chi Minh City with the Maldives, Cebu and Clark, as well as routes linking Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with other destinations in Asia.
The new services are expected to provide travelers from Kazakhstan with more options for exploring Northeast and Southeast Asia via Vietnam, while supporting tourism, trade and cultural exchange across the region.
