The Civil Aviation Committee has presented a large-scale plan for the development of international and domestic air traffic for 2026. Residents and visitors of Kazakhstan can expect new routes, the return of seasonal flights, and more affordable travel to domestic resorts.
Summer navigation: new and seasonal destinations
By the summer 2026 season, the route network will expand with direct flights to Larnaca (Cyprus), Guangzhou (China), Batumi (Georgia), Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), Sochi (Russia), and Baku (Azerbaijan).
For travelers interested in nearby countries and Europe, seasonal flights will resume to:
• Uzbekistan: Samarkand
• Germany: Frankfurt
• Kyrgyzstan: Osh and the Issyk-Kul coast
• Russia: Ufa and Kazan
Current routes and plans through the end of the year
Since the beginning of 2026, nine new routes have already been launched, connecting Almaty with Shanghai, Astana with Yerevan, and Uralsk and Atyrau with Tashkent. By the end of the year, the flight network will expand further, with new routes planned to Warsaw, Prague, and Hanoi. The frequency of flights to the most in-demand destinations — China, Russia, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan — will also increase.
Domestic travel: subsidized flights
Special attention is being paid to domestic tourism. By summer, subsidized flights will be launched from Astana and Almaty to popular resort areas such as Balkhash, Urjar, and Usharal. Government subsidies make these routes more affordable for family vacations.
Currently, Kazakhstan offers flights to 25 countries across 113 routes. The expansion of destinations increases competition among airlines, giving passengers more choices in departure times and ticket prices. The most popular countries for tourism and business travel remain Türkiye, the UAE, China, and Georgia.
ORIENT
