BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov.1
By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:
Starting from November 1, 2019 Kazakhstan introduces ‘open sky’ regime in 11 airports of the country, which provides for the removal of restrictions on the number of flights and the provision of the fifth degree of ‘freedom of air’ to foreign air companies on the routes that Kazakhstan carriers do not operate on, Trend reports with reference to Kazakhstan’s Civil Aviation Committee.
The ‘open sky’ regime will be valid for the next three years with the possibility of further extension.
According to the information, the introduction of the mentioned above regime in the country will help attract new foreign carriers to the local market, open new international routes, increase competition, affect the reduction of airfare and the availability of air transport for the general population, develop tourism, and expand international transport access to the International Financial Center "Astana".
Furthermore, flights with the fifth degree of ‘freedom of air’ are the flights of a foreign airlines through the cities of Kazakhstan to the cities of third countries. The introduction of the fifth degree is expected to develop the transit potential of Kazakhstan as well as transit traffic through the domestic airports.
The introduction of the regime and fifth degree of ‘freedom of air’ is implemented in accordance to the mandate of Kazakhstan’s President Kassym Jomart Tokayev to increase the number of international flights.
According to Tokayev, currently the number of direct international flights operated from country’s capital Nur-Sultan does not exceed 30 routes.
Furthermore, earlier this year, Kazakhstan's Minister of Industry and Infrastructural Development of Kazakhstan Beibut Atamkulov said that Qatar Airways (Doha city, 2020), Emirates (Dubai, 2021), China Eastern (Shanghai, 2021), Ural Airlines, Pobeda and other air companies are to start operating in Kazakhstan.
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