From 26 October 2026, FlyArystan starts direct flights between Astana and Yining (Kulja) in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The airline announced the route on 19 October.
Schedule
Flights operate three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
— Astana–Yining: departs 07:55, arrives 13:20; — Yining–Astana: departs 15:20, arrives 14:50.
Times are local. Tickets are on sale on FlyArystan's website and mobile app, with the schedule open until the end of the winter season, 27 March 2027.
What changed in the schedule
The airline had originally planned to start on 28 October with two flights a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. In the final schedule the start date moved two days earlier and the frequency rose to three flights a week.
A second route to Yining
Astana–Yining becomes FlyArystan's second route to the city. The airline launched Almaty–Yining in May 2025 and raised it to four flights a week in 2026.
With the new route, FlyArystan's network includes four Chinese cities: Urumqi, Yining, Xi'an and Chongqing. In 2026 the airline resumed Astana–Urumqi and launched Aktau–Urumqi, Almaty–Xi'an and Almaty–Chongqing.
FlyArystan President and CEO Johan Eidhagen said the route will expand options for business trips, tourism and visiting relatives.
Why Yining
Yining (Kulja) is located in the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, home to a significant ethnic Kazakh community. For passengers from Astana, this is a direct link to a region previously reached via Almaty or Urumqi.
Our assessment: three flights a week give this route a different scale from one- or two-weekly services. For the capital hub, it is a signal that China routes are developing from Astana and not only from Almaty. This is flycentralasia's conclusion, not a statement by the airline.
What businesses can do. Tour operators in Astana can develop winter packages for Kulja and Xinjiang. Astana Airport and ground-service companies should factor the new operating days into handling plans. Corporate clients can consider the direct flight for trips to Xinjiang.