BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 15. Kazakhstan and China reached an agreement to expand air connectivity by increasing flight frequencies from 124 to 152 per week.
This is reflected in a statement by the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan.
The agreement was signed during the bilateral talks between the Civil Aviation Committee of the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in Beijing.
According to the new agreement, the maximum allowable number of regular passenger flights for airlines from both nations will rise from 124 to 152 per week. Additionally, the list of major Chinese destinations cleared for flights to and from Kazakhstan has been expanded to 11 cities. Notably, the expansion now includes Chongqing, one of China’s premier industrial and transport-logistics hubs.
The delegations also initiated discussions on launching direct passenger flights between Astana and Shanghai, including potential operations by Chinese air carriers.
To support this projected growth in traffic, the civil aviation authorities reviewed plans to establish a third international air corridor between Kazakhstan and China. This infrastructure project is designed to increase airspace capacity, optimize flight trajectories, relieve pressure on existing air routes, and streamline bilateral transit.
The agenda of the Beijing consultations further covered airport slot allocations for Kazakh airlines in China, air space utilization protocols, and the drafting of an intergovernmental agreement on search and rescue operations for civil aircraft.
"The parties confirmed their mutual interest in further developing cooperation in civil aviation and agreed to continue joint work aimed at expanding air traffic, improving transport connectivity, and strengthening the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and China," the statement of ministry says.
