Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.6
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
Kazakhstan and the US will sign an agreement on launching direct flights between the two countries on "open sky" principle in March, Trend reports citing Kazakhstan’s Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development Zhenis Kasymbek.
"The ministry has prepared the draft intergovernmental agreement on air service between Kazakhstan and the US on "open sky" principle. It is planned to sign this agreement in March this year," he said, KazInform reports.
Further, he noted that together with Air Astana, the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure will work this year on opening air service to Japan, New York, Shanghai and other large cities of the world.
The procedure of accreditation for flights to the US has been launched this year, added the minister.
The signing of the "open sky" agreement will create a legal basis for opening direct flights between Kazakhstan and the US.
Recently, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev has instructed to open direct flights between Kazakhstan and the US, as well as with Japan.
Twenty-one airlines operate in Kazakhstan, only four of which are really big enough to be called national carriers and compete in the Kazakh market of passenger air travel services.
Air Astana, SCAT, Bek Air and Qazaq Air are the leaders in the Kazakh skies, annually transporting thousands of people and thousands of tons of goods.
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