On 22 August 2026, scheduled air service returned to Arkalyk, a city in Kazakhstan's Kostanay region. The first passenger flight on the Astana–Arkalyk–Astana route restored a connection the city had lost three decades earlier — Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport cites a 30-year gap, while some regional coverage puts the figure at 33 years.
SCAT Airlines, selected through a tender process, will operate the routes. Astana–Arkalyk–Astana runs twice weekly at a one-way fare of 10,000 tenge. Almaty–Arkalyk–Almaty also runs twice weekly, priced at 25,000 tenge. A separate regional Kostanay–Arkalyk–Kostanay route was launched as well, twice weekly at 10,000 tenge. All three routes are government-subsidized.
On 12 August, Arkalyk Airport officially regained its three-letter IATA code, AYK — a key step in preparing for the resumption of scheduled flights. The modernization project was carried out under a directive from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, issued at the IV meeting of the National Kurultai. The works included a new passenger terminal, an emergency rescue station, a garage for specialized vehicles, a security checkpoint and a control tower, along with reconstruction of the runway, taxiway and apron. The airport has received its aviation security service certification, and instrument approach charts have been published in Kazakhstan's aeronautical information publication.
Regional authorities estimate that more than 80,000 residents of Arkalyk and the surrounding Amangeldi and Zhangeldi districts of Kostanay region, as well as the Zharkain district of Akmola region, will gain faster access to medical, educational and government services elsewhere in the country. The project is also expected to create 136 jobs and is framed as a driver of business development and investment in the Torgai region.