From July 31, direct flights will open between Almaty and Izmir. The new route by SunExpress expands the city's international network and creates additional opportunities for developing tourism, business, and cultural ties between Kazakhstan and Turkey, reports infohub.kz.
According to the Almaty city administration, flights will operate twice a week. From Izmir, flights will be on Tuesdays and Fridays until the end of October 2026 on Boeing 737-800 aircraft with a capacity of 189 passengers. Departure from Izmir is scheduled for 9:00 PM, arrival in Almaty at 5:00 AM the next day. Return flights from Almaty will be on Wednesdays and Saturdays: departure at 6:25 AM, arrival in Izmir at 9:50 AM.
Izmir is one of Turkey's largest tourism and economic centers and the main gateway to the Aegean coast. The direct flight will make travel between the two cities more convenient and will help increase mutual tourist flow. The city administration noted that expanding the international route network remains a key direction for Almaty's tourism development. New direct flights improve the city's transport accessibility and strengthen its position as a leading tourism and aviation center in Central Asia.