Tengrinews.kz — Can passengers roll out a mat and do a short warm-up before a flight? The question sparked a discussion after a video of a passenger who was not allowed to stretch at Almaty Airport. Tengrinews.kz found out whether Astana and Almaty airports have special yoga areas and whether there are plans to open them.
Tengrinews.kz — Can passengers roll out a mat and do a short warm-up before a flight? The question sparked a discussion after a video of a passenger who was not allowed to stretch at Almaty Airport. Tengrinews.kz found out whether Astana and Almaty airports have special yoga areas and whether there are plans to open them.
How it started
The discussion on social media began after a video showed a passenger who was not allowed to lay out a stretching mat in the waiting area of Almaty Airport.
According to the woman, modern airports have almost everything — shops, restaurants and smoking areas — but there is no place where passengers can stretch before a flight or after a long journey.
“I suggest an innovation for all airports. There is a smoking area, a place to shop and a place to have a drink. Could we please have a separate yoga area?” the author of the video asked.
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The idea is not new. Many major airports around the world have long had special areas where passengers can do yoga, stretch or simply relax before a flight.
Will yoga areas appear in Kazakhstan’s airports?
Astana Airport
The capital’s airport said there are currently no dedicated rooms for yoga, gymnastics or stretching.
“Specialized areas for gymnastics, yoga or physical exercises are not provided in the terminals of Astana Airport. At the same time, passengers may move freely around the terminals and use waiting areas and walking spaces for a brief warm-up before departure,” the airport’s press service said.
However, the situation may change in the future. The airport is currently preparing to expand Terminal T2, and officials say current international trends will be taken into account when designing the new premises. Plans include coworking spaces, additional recreation areas and children’s playgrounds.
“Among the areas being considered for infrastructure development are additional recreation areas, coworking spaces, children’s play areas and other functional locations for different categories of passengers. The issue of organizing special areas for yoga, stretching or light physical activity may also be considered,” the airport said.
Almaty Airport
Almaty Airport said it currently has no specialized areas for sports, yoga or stretching, and there are no plans to introduce them in the near future.
At the same time, the terminal already has other spaces for passengers to relax. These include a quiet area, an animal-themed area and a mother-and-child room.
Where such areas already exist
In many foreign airports, yoga rooms have long become part of the infrastructure.
According to FlySFO, the first such room was opened at San Francisco International Airport in 2012. The space was designed to be as calm as possible, with soft warm lighting and soundproofing. Free rooms now operate around the clock in two terminals — Terminal 2 and Terminal 3. Passengers are provided with shared mats, which are regularly disinfected.
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According to AFAR, similar spaces are available at other major aviation hubs. Chicago airports have separate rooms with frosted glass, Dallas and Miami have areas with fitness balls and video instructions for exercises, Burlington offers passengers stretching blocks and showers next to the room, while Denver is testing individual cabins for breathing practices.
In Europe, such spaces are also becoming a familiar part of airports. For example, Frankfurt Airport has free yoga rooms in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.
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