In July 2026, Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport in Astana served over one million passengers in a single month for the first time in its history, marking the highest monthly figure ever recorded at the capital's air gateway, according to infohub.kz.
The city's Investment and Entrepreneurship Development Department attributed the growth to an expanded route network, the launch of new international destinations, and increased flight frequencies on existing routes.
This year, flights from the Kazakh capital were introduced to Larnaca, Ulaanbaatar, Guangzhou, Yerevan, and Dalaman, bringing the number of international destinations from 42 to 47. The airport also serves 18 domestic routes across Kazakhstan.
Airport officials emphasized that the expansion of flight geography is accompanied by active promotion of Astana as a tourist and business hub. The Astana Tourism Development Center participates in international exhibitions and events, presents the capital's tourism potential, and fosters cooperation with foreign tourism industry representatives.
The statement also noted that new direct flights are expected to improve Astana's transport accessibility and create additional opportunities for inbound tourism growth.
Earlier reports indicated that members of the board of Astana International Airport received 146 million tenge in salaries and bonuses for 2025, a 34% increase from the previous year. At the end of the year, the city administration terminated the airport management agreement with UAE-based Terminals Holding, with Mayor Zhenis Kassymbek explaining that the airport requires further modernization, which the previous investor could not provide.