Sunday, January 26, 2025 Kazakhstan’s Atyrau Airport adopts open skies, boosting connectivity to Western Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, fostering competition, and modernizing air travel. Atyrau International Airport, situated in northwestern Kazakhstan, has introduced an open skies regime to enhance flight connectivity and foster airline competition. The policy change was confirmed by Kairat Nurtaev, Deputy Akim (mayor) of the Atyrau Region.
This progressive initiative removes restrictions on the frequency of flights operated by foreign airlines to and from Atyrau. It is designed to stimulate the growth of both international and domestic air traffic, paving the way for direct connections between Atyrau and major destinations in Western Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Authorities believe this will increase competition among carriers, potentially reducing airfares for travelers.
Currently, the airport supports 89 domestic flights on seven routes and 21 international flights across six routes weekly. Air Astana, Kazakhstan’s flagship airline, dominates these services, offering connections to global hubs like Amsterdam, Istanbul, and Dubai. FlyArystan, its budget subsidiary, also serves destinations such as Kutaisi and Sharm El-Sheikh.
Russia’s Aeroflot is the sole foreign carrier operating scheduled flights, providing services from Moscow. As part of ongoing modernization efforts, the regional administration has partnered with QazAir Investments, a Qatari investor, .