Kazakhstan’s aviation officials on new regulations for foreign-operated chartered flights

Kazakhstan’s regulations with regards to chartered flights performed by foreign aircraft operators will only come into force in two months’ time; prior to that time all the foreign operators holding valid licenses will be free to operate chartered flights as they have been up to now, Newskaz.ru reports, citing Beken Seidakhmetov, Chairman of the Civil Aviation Committee in the country’s Transport Ministry. “There are newly drafted regulations to streamline chartered flights (…) the draft is subject to registration with the Justice Ministry. It will take about two months. Before that the earlier accepted regulations will be still in force; these regulations do not prohibit foreign aircraft operators to arrange carriage of Kazakhstan’s passengers abroad; all the scheduled chartered flights will be performed”, Mr. Seidakhmetov said. According to the country’s Transport Ministry, upon coming of the new regulations into force, foreign aircraft operators will be only allowed to arrange chartered flights to render aid, flights for personal and business purposes, and flights upon respective agreements between Kazakhstan’s and foreign aviation authorities in cases such flights cannot be performed by Kazakhstan-based aircraft operators. According to earlier media reports, the Civil Aviation Committee in the country’s Transport Ministry along with the Kazakhstan Tourism Association seek to have Kazakhstan’s travel agencies fully shifting to Kazakhstan’s airlines.