BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20. China Eastern Airlines plans to launch direct passenger flights between Astana and Shanghai in autumn 2026, expanding air connectivity between Kazakhstan and China.
This is reflected in the statement published by Civil Aviation Committee of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport.
The agreement was discussed during a working visit to China by Chairwoman of the Civil Aviation Committee of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport Saltanat Tompieva, who held talks with China Eastern Airlines Senior Vice President for Marketing and Sales Jin Chenhua.
During the meeting, representatives of the Chinese airline confirmed plans to begin operating flights on the new route after completion of the necessary regulatory procedures and technical approvals.
"The main topic of the talks was the launch of direct flights between Astana and Shanghai. Airline representatives confirmed strong commercial interest in this route and announced their readiness to begin operations this fall, following the completion of the necessary preparatory measures. Initially, flights will operate three times a week, with the frequency subsequently increasing to daily," the statement says.
The service is expected to initially operate three times a week, with the possibility of increasing flight frequency to daily operations in the future depending on demand.
The sides also discussed prospects for further cooperation in civil aviation, including expanding flight frequencies to other destinations in Kazakhstan and developing cooperation between China Eastern Airlines and Kazakh carriers. The new route will connect Kazakhstan’s capital with Shanghai, one of China’s major economic and transport centers, and is expected to contribute to the development of passenger traffic between the two countries.
China Eastern Airlines is one of China’s largest state-owned airlines and operates international and domestic services from its main hubs at Shanghai Pudong and Hongqiao airports.
Earlier, Kazakhstan and China reached an agreement to expand air connectivity by increasing flight frequencies from 124 to 152 per week.
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.
