Air Astana Group said on 23 October 2026 that it has expanded its international route network from Astana. According to the company, eight new scheduled and charter destinations have been opened from the capital in 2026: Guangzhou, Yining, Bangkok, Larnaca, Dalaman, Batumi, Issyk-Kul and Salalah. Seven were opened in 2025: Sanya, Jeddah, Medina, Nha Trang, Da Nang, Alanya and Kutaisi. Including announced flights, the network from Astana covers 32 destinations. Flights to Yining are operated by the group's low-cost carrier FlyArystan.
Frequencies and capacity
Weekly flights on existing international routes from Astana rose from 99 to 116, that is, 17 more departures, or about 17%. More flights are planned to Beijing, Seoul, Frankfurt, Istanbul and Dubai, subject to schedule adjustments. Compared with 2025, seat capacity on Astana–Beijing is up 55%, and on Seoul and Istanbul by about 20%.
Aircraft and staff
According to the company, 13 aircraft were based in Astana in 2024 and 16 in summer 2026. 22 are expected in 2027. This is a target, not a completed fleet deployment. Staffing is also growing: in technical, training and administrative departments and among staff serving passengers at Astana airport. The company also cites growth in local partners and in procurement of goods and services. It describes the expansion as strengthening Astana's role as one of Kazakhstan's key aviation hubs.
What the winter schedule includes
Publications on the winter season, which runs from 25 October 2026 to 27 March 2027, indicate that direct Astana–Bangkok flights start on 11 December on Tuesdays and Fridays on an Airbus A321LR, adding to the daily flights from Almaty. Salalah flights from Astana operate on Saturdays from 24 October.
What has not been announced
The figures are given by the company, with no independent confirmation. Shares of transit passengers, loads, capacity on the remaining destinations, the list of airports and timelines for announced routes have not been named, nor which flights make up the 17 additional departures.
Our assessment: the figures show Air Astana betting on Astana as the group's second hub alongside Almaty: 15 destinations added in two years, and the number of based aircraft, by target, rising from 13 to 22. For the market this also matters in connection with the capital's new airport: the more destinations and flights, the stronger the argument for expanding infrastructure. But the fleet figure for 2027 remains a target, and the season will show the loads on the new flights. This is flycentralasia's conclusion, not a statement by Air Astana.
What businesses can do. Tour operators and agencies can add the new destinations from Astana to their offers: China, Thailand, the Middle East, the Caucasus and the Mediterranean. Astana airport and ground services can prepare for more departures and passengers. Competing carriers should account for Air Astana's strengthening on China, Seoul and Istanbul routes. Service and staffing suppliers in Astana can follow the expansion of the base and procurement.