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.
