Astana–Burabay flight and launch of new routes: Transport Ministry’s response

Tengrinews.kz – Vice Minister of Transport Talgat Lastaev was asked whether Kazakhstan will launch a new air route between Astana and the Burabay resort.

Responding to the question, he clarified that the discussion concerns not regular flights but charter routes.

“These are small aircraft that could operate between Astana and the Burabay resort, allowing people to travel comfortably and quickly by plane. In principle, such a possibility exists — there are no institutional obstacles. The fleet is expanding, and I believe such routes will develop,” said Vice Minister Talgat Lastaev.

Expansion of the domestic flight network

According to the vice minister, new domestic routes are possible, but much depends on the availability of suitable aircraft.

“The domestic market is directly linked to the renewal and expansion of the aircraft fleet. On average, our airlines update their fleets with ten or more modern Western-built aircraft per year: Boeing and Airbus. This increases the potential for expanding domestic routes. We want to multiply this number: recently, Air Astana signed a memorandum for 25 firm contracts for Airbus A320 family aircraft and 25 optional ones,” Lastaev said at a government briefing.

Talgat Lastaev also reminded the public about Kazakhstan’s plans to acquire long-haul Dreamliners, the first of which will arrive in mid-2026.

Meanwhile, Minister of Transport Nurlan Sauranbayev added that launching new domestic flights requires not only new aircraft but also budget.

Sauranbayev explained that the country currently operates about 821 domestic flights.

“As the Ministry of Transport, we must ensure connectivity between every region and Almaty and Astana. This is currently 100 percent achieved,” he said.

He also noted that launching any new route requires significant funding — about 300–400 million tenge from the national or local budget. The second key factor is the availability of appropriate aircraft.

“That’s why when regions come to us, we say: ‘No problem, let’s do it.’ But we have only 6 billion tenge from the national budget for all subsidies. Therefore, the appearance of new routes always depends on these two issues,” Sauranbayev said.

Thus, according to the minister, the opening of new routes depends on two key factors — funding and aircraft availability.

Astana–Burabay flight

Kazakhstanis have been discussing the potential Astana–Burabay air route for several weeks, questioning its necessity. On November 13, Akmola Region akim Marat Akhmetzhanov said that the capital and the resort are planned to be connected by air. Later, the regional akimat told us that the flight would not be regular but “on individual requests.”

The cost of the service is still being determined. A site is currently being chosen for a runway of up to one kilometer in length.