ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s airlines carried 8.7 million passengers in the first eight months of 2023, 26% more than last year, with up to 600 flights per week to 32 countries and 115 international destinations, said Timur Tlegenov, the deputy chairman of the Civil Aviation Committee, reported the Silk Way TV channel reported on Oct. 4.
Photo credit: Asia Times.
The committee plans to expand the aircraft fleet from 96 planes operating regular and commercial flights to 131 by 2025. Last year, 14 airplanes were added to the fleet, Tlegenov said.
“Among the 13 aircraft planned for purchase this year, approximately six are already in service, and another six-seven are expected to come by the end of the year. Overall, we plan to acquire 26 more aircraft by 2025,” he said.
Kazakhstan modernizes its airports, particularly in major cities that are turning into aviation transit hubs.
Almaty city anticipates the commissioning of a new passenger terminal in 2024, while Astana projects its airport to double annual passenger capacity up to ten million people in the near future.
According to Tlegenov, before the pandemic, airports in these cities served up to one million transit passengers traveling from India and China to European destinations.
“We are expanding the number of both flights and routes with China, and increasing flights from India to bolster transit passenger traffic,” he noted.