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The airline plans to increase its flight frequency on the Shanghai-to-Almaty route, anticipating a rise in travel demand fueled by strengthening bilateral business, tourism, and study abroad connections, according to the new CEO.
Shanghai becomes the airline’s sixth destination in China, joining Beijing, Urumqi, Guangzhou, Sanya, and Yining. The CEO mentioned this during a visit to the city for the inauguration of the new Shanghai-Almaty route.
With the addition of this route, the airline now operates a total of 32 weekly flights between China and Kazakhstan. Further expansion is planned for June, including new flights from Astana to Hangzhou and Guangzhou, along with additional services from Almaty and Astana to Beijing, and from Almaty to Urumqi.
Demand from both business and leisure travelers has surged, but current flight frequency and routes only cater to a small fraction of the growing passenger flow and commercial exchanges, leaving significant room for future development.
This capacity increase coincides with a rapid growth in travel between China and Kazakhstan, driven by expanding trade and investment. Last year, the airline carried over 250,000 passengers on flights between the two countries, nearly doubling the previous year’s figures.
Kazakhstan’s international trade heavily relies on China, with Chinese imports comprising about one-third of its trade volume. Meanwhile, around 90 percent of Kazakhstan’s exports are sent to China. Enhanced flight options support business travel and the many students commuting between universities in the two nations.
The bilateral visa exemption policy, which began in 2023, has also contributed to an uptick in air traffic.
Flights connecting China to the five Central Asian countries have significantly increased compared to pre-pandemic levels. Last month, flights to Kazakhstan exceeded 700, nearly three times as many as in 2019, making it the leading route, followed by Uzbekistan, where flights have increased more than sixfold. Travel volumes to Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan have also risen, surpassing pre-pandemic numbers.
On the same day as the new Shanghai-Almaty service, China Southern Airlines launched a direct flight from Guangzhou to Bishkek, China Eastern Airlines introduced a Shanghai-Tashkent route, and Uzbekistan Airways commenced flights between Shenzhen and Tashkent.
Industry insiders observe a notable shift in China’s international air routes, with over 70 percent of passenger flights now serving countries along the Belt and Road in Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Many of these new routes, flown by China’s three largest state-owned carriers—China Eastern, China Southern, and Air China—are targeting non-traditional markets.
This trend persists despite restrictions on new routes to Europe and the United States, which are limited by air rights reciprocity issues. Meanwhile, economic and trade ties with Belt and Road countries continue to strengthen, driving the expansion of such routes.
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