Kazakhstan is working to open new international flights and simplify visa procedures to make foreign travel more accessible for its citizens, a tourism official said in response to a Qazinform News Agency query. Aidyn Kapashev, Deputy Chairman of the Tourism Industry Committee at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, said the efforts are aimed at improving transport accessibility to popular foreign destinations.
"Work is underway to open new international flights, increase the number of direct flights, and simplify visa procedures. This will make popular destinations much more accessible for Kazakhstani travelers. Air Astana is launching flights to Shanghai, Guangzhou, Larnaca, and Dalaman, and is also boosting flight frequency to Seoul and other international destinations.
FlyArystan, meanwhile, plans to launch regular international flights to Urgench on September 3 and to Chongqing on September 23," Kapashev announced. According to the ministry, the most popular foreign destinations for Kazakhstanis in summer 2026 remain Vietnam, Egypt, Thailand, Türkiye, China, and the Maldives.
Earlier, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed developing direct air links between Astana and major Russian cities located near Kazakhstan’s border as part of efforts to strengthen transport connectivity between the two countries.