Domestic airlines
are currently operating up to 600 flights per week to 32 countries and 115
international destinations. In the first eight months of 2023, they transported
8.7 million passengers, reflecting a 26 percent increase compared to the same
period in 2022, as reported by Timur Tlegenov, the deputy chairman of the Civil
Aviation Committee of the Kazakh Ministry of Transport.
“To boost the
frequency of flights, we have developed a plan with airlines for expanding the
aircraft fleet. To date, 96 aircraft are in operation for regular and
commercial flight with Kazakh airlines. A total of 14 airplanes were added to
our fleet last year. This year, there are plans to purchase 13 aircraft. Of
these, around six or seven have been already delivered, with about six more
expected to arrive by the end of the year. Overall, 26 more aircraft are
expected by 2025. The total number of aircraft will be increased to 131,” Tlegenov
said.
The country is
actively modernizing and reconstructing its airports. The largest ones in
megacities are becoming aviation transit hubs, serving a large flow of
passengers, according to experts. Construction of a new passenger terminal in
the city of Almaty is well underway. The project is planned to be commissioned
in 2024. Additionally, the issue of developing the capital’s airport is
presently being worked out. According to forecasts from the Civil Aviation
Committee, in a couple of years, it is expected to double its annual passenger
capacity, accommodating up to 10 million people.
“Prior to the
pandemic, the number of transit passengers in Kazakhstan reached up to one
million people, primarily driven by travelers coming from India and China to
European countries via Astana and Almaty. Currently, we are gradually
increasing transit passenger traffic. We are expanding both the number of
flights and routes with China, and there is an additional increase in flights
from India,” Tlegenov added.
