ASTANA – Kazakhstan is expanding its international air connectivity while investing in digital technologies designed to make border and aviation services faster, signaling a broader effort to strengthen the country’s position as a regional transport and travel hub.
From L to R: Deputy Minister of Transport Talgat Lastayev and Acting President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation of Saudi Arabia Suleiman bin Ahmed Al-Bassam. Photo credit: Civil Aviation Committee. The latest measures range from a significant increase in permitted flights between Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia to the expansion of biometric border-control systems and the use of data analytics to assess the commercial potential of new air routes.
Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia expand flight opportunities Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia signed an air services agreement on Aug. 26 in Riyadh, creating additional opportunities for regular air connectivity between the two countries. The agreement was signed by Deputy Minister of Transport Talgat Lastayev and Acting President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation of Saudi Arabia Suleiman bin Ahmed Al-Bassam.
Under the new arrangements, the number of permitted regular flights between the countries will increase from 28 to 70 per week. The expansion is expected to support trade and business ties, investment and tourism, while providing airlines with greater flexibility to develop new routes.
Air carriers are planning to launch direct regular flights between Astana and Riyadh and increase the number of connections with other Saudi Arabian cities. Data-driven approach to developing routes The expansion of air connectivity is also being supported by new analytical tools developed in Kazakhstan.
Echelon Alpha, in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport, has developed a digital platform designed to optimize civil aviation route networks and assess the commercial viability of flights. The system analyzes demand on different routes, forecasts transit potential and models possible future route networks.
According to Echelon Alpha founder Rakhman Asambayev, the system was built using around 170 reports from airlines and data covering 200 million flights over the past five years. “For building the analytical model of air connectivity, around 170 airline reports and a dataset covering 200 million flights over the past five years were processed,” Asambayev said.
The platform also takes into account regional macroeconomic indicators, population, consumer preferences, business activity and major events.