At a meeting between Almaty akim Yerbolat Dosaev and Wang Zhichin, the chairman of China Eastern Airlines Co., Ltd., a Memorandum was signed to facilitate the opening of a direct flight between Almaty and Shanghai, reports the correspondent of the business information center Kapital.kz, citing the akimat's press service.
"Currently, active work is underway to obtain the necessary approvals from the National Civil Aviation Administration of China. During the meeting, the akim of Almaty also highlighted the strengthening of partnership relations between the sister cities of Almaty and Shanghai. Starting in 2024, the cities will actively develop cooperation in various fields, and the announcement of 2025 as the Year of Tourism of China in Kazakhstan opens additional opportunities for joint initiatives and promoting tourism potential," the akimat explained.
China Eastern Airlines Co., Ltd. is a state-owned airline of China, headquartered in Shanghai. It ranks among the top three largest Chinese carriers and is a member of the global airline alliance SkyTeam. The airline's fleet consists of approximately 780 aircraft, and its route network covers over 1,150 destinations in 175 countries.
It should be noted that the launch of the additional "Almaty-Beijing" flight and the new "Almaty-Chengdu" route is planned for June 2025. Currently, direct flights from Almaty are operated to the following cities in China: Beijing - 53 flights per month (Air Astana - 22, China Southern Airlines - 31), Urumqi - 61 flights per month (Air Astana - 17, China Southern Airlines - 44), Xi'an - nine flights per month (China Southern Airlines), Hangzhou - 18 flights per month (Loong Air), and Sanya - nine flights per month (Air Astana).
Earlier, it was reported that Air Astana is expanding its route network in China with a new flight to Guangzhou, which will start on March 30, 2025. Flights will be operated three times a week — on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays on a comfortable Airbus A321LR aircraft.
It is worth noting that entrepreneurs from Kazakhstan are invited to participate in a trade and economic mission to China, which will take place in Xi'an on April 1–2, 2025.