BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. Turkish carrier
SunExpress is entering Kazakhstan's aviation market with the launch
of direct scheduled flights between Almaty and Izmir.
The statement was made by the Ministry of Transport of
Kazakhstan.
"Thus, from July 31 this year, a new foreign carrier from
Türkiye, SunExpress, will enter Kazakhstan's air transport market.
The airline will launch direct scheduled passenger flights on the
Almaty–Izmir route. Flights will operate twice a week, on Tuesdays
and Fridays, using Boeing 737 aircraft," the ministry said.
The ministry expects the launch of the new air service to
contribute to the further development of trade, economic, business,
investment, tourism, and cultural cooperation between Kazakhstan
and Türkiye.
Earlier, the ministry announced that Turkish carrier AJet would
increase the frequency of its Astana–Ankara and Almaty–Ankara
flights from two to seven per week on each route starting in
August.
SunExpress was established in 1989 as a joint venture between
Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines. The airline is headquartered in
Antalya. Another hub is Izmir on Türkiye’s Aegean coast. It also
maintains a second headquarters in Gateway Gardens, Frankfurt am
Main, Germany.
According to Kazakhstan's Bureau of National Statistics, the
country's airlines carried 7.4 million passengers in January–June
2026, up 2.6% compared to the same period of 2025. Passenger
turnover reached 15.3 billion passenger-kilometers, marking a 7.9%
year-on-year increase.
