Starting October 20, SCAT Airlines will begin flights from Shymkent to Singapore. The flights will operate twice a week with a transit stop in the Chinese city of Sanya, according to infohub.kz.
The Civil Aviation Committee of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport said the new route will use the 'fifth freedom of air' rights, allowing SCAT to carry passengers not only between Kazakhstan and Singapore but also on the China-Singapore segment. Passengers can thus fly from Shymkent to Sanya and then continue to Singapore.
The committee noted that expanding the international route network aims to boost Kazakhstan's transport connectivity. The new air link with Singapore is expected to promote tourism, investment, and business ties between the two countries, as well as strengthen Kazakhstan's role as a transit aviation hub in Central Asia.
Earlier, it was reported that Chinese carrier Urumqi Airlines is discussing with Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport the launch of flights to Zaysan and Katon-Karagai. Meanwhile, Air China has increased the frequency of flights from Astana to Beijing to six times a week since early August.