Air Astana Launches Almaty - Dubai Flights

Air Astana has launched daily direct flights between Almaty and Dubai.

The route is served by Airbus A320 aircraft in a two class layout – 16 business class and 132 economy seats and complements Air Astana’s four times weekly services from the capital Astana to Abu Dhabi, which it has been operating since 2010.

Peter Foster, President and CEO of Air Astana, said, “This is the right time to recommence our services to Almaty. The Middle East economy is much stronger. Dubai International is now the second biggest airport in the world in terms of passenger numbers, (achieving a 15% growth in 2013 to 65.8 million); there is a strong appetite for travel to new destinations and the positivity around the UAE for the city that will host Expo 2020 is clear to see. Importantly, with our new Visa Waiver Programme in place now for UAE travellers, we anticipate that Almaty will become an increasingly popular destination.”

Thanks to the newly announced Kazakhstan Visa Waiver Programme visitors from ten countries, including nationals of the UAE, can now easily enter Kazakhstan without any prior notification. The arrangement makes it even easier for business and leisure travellers to fly with the airline, which also offers an online visa application facility for Kazakhstan tourists.

Almaty is the largest city in Kazakhstan and a major commercial, cultural and financial centre within Central Asia. Located in the mountainous area of southern Kazakhstan with the beautifully rugged, snow-capped mountains right at the city's doorstep, Almaty offers UAE-based visitors a relatively mild climate with pleasantly warm summers and moderately cold winters.

Its green parks and excellent museums, shops and markets, and Central Asia’s best selection of restaurants, cafes, bars and clubs make Almaty a desirable destination for leisure travellers. Great mountain hiking and skiing are right on the doorstep, with the nearby ski resorts of Chimbulak, Central Asia’s top skiing centre and Medeu which features the highest and one of the most famous ice rinks in the world. The warm hospitality from the Kazakh people and the outstanding natural beauty of the surroundings all add to Almaty’s appeal as an attractive short break for the tourists.

Almaty in HD

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