Tengri Travel continues to monitor the situation regarding subsidized flights in our country. It has been revealed that carriers have not yet been identified for six routes.
An announcement has been published on the Ministry of Transport's website, which caught our attention.
"To meet the public's need for air transportation, the Civil Aviation Committee of the Ministry of Transport will conduct a repeated tender on January 27, 2025 for airlines on subsidized routes for 2025 to carry passengers, baggage, cargo, and mail," the agency's statement notes.
The following routes are under consideration:
- Ust-Kamenogorsk – Karaganda – Ust-Kamenogorsk – 2 times a week (12 months); one-way ticket price – 18,000 tenge;
- Kokshetau – Aktau – Kokshetau – 2 times a week (12 months); one-way ticket price - 30,000 tenge;
- Almaty – Petropavlovsk – Almaty – 5 times a week (6 months – from January to June); one-way ticket price – 30,000 tenge;
- Turkestan – Aktau – Turkestan – 2 times a week (12 months); one-way ticket price – 28,000 tenge;
- Turkestan – Uralsk – Turkestan; 2 times a week (12 months); one-way ticket price - 33,000 tenge;
- Kyzylorda – Kokshetau – Kyzylorda – 2 times a week (8 months – from January to August); one-way ticket price – 21,000 tenge.
Currently, there are no direct flights on these routes, but there remains a demand for them among Kazakhstanis, as readers have repeatedly informed us. For instance, to travel from Petropavlovsk to Almaty, one must purchase at least two tickets: first flying from Petropavlovsk to Astana, and then from the capital to the southern megacity. This results in additional expenses and extends travel time.
Thus, judging by the fact that the tender is being held again, one can conclude that carriers for these routes have still not been selected. This may indicate several possible reasons, such as airlines facing challenges like high operational costs or other factors that make these routes unprofitable or inconvenient for them.
It is still unclear what exactly is causing the situation, but the repeated tender indicates that the process of selecting carriers is not yet complete and requires further attention. We have reached out to the Ministry of Transport's press service for comments on the situation.
We recall that earlier a Kazakhstani citizen reached out to us, noting the significant lack of a flight from Petropavlovsk to Almaty. As is known, in 2024, subsidized flights on the Petropavlovsk – Almaty route and back were operated by one of the Kazakh airlines.
At the end of December 2024, the press service of the Ministry of Transport reported that the Civil Aviation Committee announced a tender on November 25, 2024, for the subsidization of the Almaty – Petropavlovsk air route. It was expected that subsidies would be provided from January 1 to June 30, 2025, after which the route was planned to be transitioned to a commercial basis. The agency noted at that time that two tenders for subsidizing this flight had already been held, but both did not take place due to a lack of participants. More details can be found at the link.
As is known, subsidized flights are air routes partially funded by the government to reduce ticket prices for passengers. They are essential for ensuring the accessibility of air transportation to regions with low passenger traffic, maintaining transportation accessibility, and stimulating the economy.
We will continue to monitor the developments.
