The Arkalyk airport has completed construction work and all necessary certification procedures, and will begin accepting regular flights in September, according to infohub.kz.
According to the akim of Kostanay region, Kumar Aksakalov, the air harbor is ready to receive and service regional passenger aircraft such as the CRJ200. The carrier on the new routes will be SCAT Airlines.
"On August 3, the airport received the aviation security service certificate, on August 18 – the certificate of KazAeronavigatsia as a provider of air navigation services. On August 21, the airfield was issued an airworthiness certificate," the akim wrote.
The first flight is planned to be received on August 22, and regular flights will begin on September 1. Aircraft will depart on Tuesdays and Saturdays on the route Almaty – Arkalyk – Kostanay – Arkalyk – Astana – Arkalyk – Almaty.
The Arkalyk airport schedule for Tuesday: Almaty – Arkalyk: 08:50–10:50; Arkalyk – Kostanay: 11:50–12:40; Kostanay – Arkalyk: 13:40–14:30; Arkalyk – Astana: 15:30–16:20; Astana – Arkalyk: 17:50–18:40; Arkalyk – Almaty: 19:40–21:35.
On Saturday, the schedule is as follows: Almaty – Arkalyk: 08:40–10:40; Arkalyk – Kostanay: 11:40–12:30; Kostanay – Arkalyk: 13:30–14:20; Arkalyk – Astana: 15:15–16:05; Astana – Arkalyk: 17:35–18:25; Arkalyk – Almaty: 19:25–21:15.
The Arkalyk airport was closed in the 1990s, and the building lay abandoned for a long time. Now the air harbor has been restored, and even before its official opening, it has received many positive reviews on social media for its design. How efficiently the airport will operate after the renovation remains to be seen.
Earlier it was reported that the airport had re-received the international code AYK.