Air Astana takes delivery of one new A320neo, increases flights to China

Air Astana took delivery of new Airbus A320neo in Astana on June 29, 2024. The new airplane becomes the 47th Airbus aircraft in the group’s fleet of 54. Air Astana said that the ongoing growth of its fleet enables the airline to ""increase services across an expanding international and domestic network”, as well as working towards Air Astana Group’s “strategic goals of reducing environmental impact and enhancing operational efficiency”. Air Astana also confirmed an increase in flights between Kazakhstan and China following agreements reached at the meeting of the China-Central Asia Aviation Co-operation group held in Xi'an, China between June 18 to June 20, 2024. Designated carriers from Kazakhstan received approval to operate up to 52 passenger flights per week during the current summer season, with the figure increasing and up to 62 flights per week starting from the 2025 summer season. In addition to existing destinations in China, Kazakh carriers are now additionally allowed to operate flights to Guangzhou, alongside designated airlines also receiving the right to operate an unlimited number of flights to the cities of Sanya, Haikou and Qionghai on Hainan Island using the fifth, sixth and seventh freedom rights. Air Astana currently operates scheduled daily flights from Almaty to Beijing and from Astana to Beijing three times a week, as well as from Almaty to Urumqi in western China five times a week. A statement from Air Astana highlighted how Kazakhstan is “among the few countries in the world, along with the United States and a number of European countries, whose carriers have rights to operate flights to China using fifth freedom rights. “Kazakh airlines have also received permission to operate cargo flights to China without restrictions on quantity and direction”.