Dubai-based carrier flydubai has announced the launch of its flights to Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, extending the airline’s route network in the country to three destinations.
The airline will operate four flights a week, starting from 26 October 2015, and will be the first Dubai-based carrier to serve this route. flydubai launched operations to Kazakhstan in September 2014 with flights to Almaty and Shymkent. Astana becomes the ninth destination in flydubai’s network in Central Asia and the Caucasus. With the new launch the airline will operate 38 weekly flights from Dubai to cities in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer of flydubai, said: “It has been a year since the start of our operations in Kazakhstan and we are pleased to extend our network in the country, where we have seen strong demand for our services. Astana is a major economic hub in Central Asia and the launch of flydubai’s flights to the Kazakhstani capital marks an important milestone in our expansion in the region. We look forward to showcasing our services in the capital and contributing to the development of trade and tourism between the economic hubs of Central Asia and the Middle East.”
Kazakhstan and the UAE are extending their cooperation in trade, investment and tourism as both Astana and Dubai are preparing to host the EXPO in 2017 and 2020, respectively. The two countries have demonstrated impressive growth in various industries, including energy, Islamic finance and construction.
Flights between Dubai International (DXB) and Astana International Airport (TSE) will commence on 26 October 2015 with 4 flights a week. Flight FZ705 will operate from Dubai on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, with a departure time of 20:55 and an arrival time of 3:25 (4hr 30 min flight). Return flight FZ706 would be on the following days (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays) from Astana, departing at 4:35 and arriving at 7:20.
Business Class return fares will start at AED 4,200 and are inclusive of all taxes and 40kg checked baggage, while Economy Class return fares from Dubai to Astana start at AED 1,450 and are inclusive 20kg checked baggage.
