Astana, 24 October. Air Astana operated its first direct flight from Astana to Salalah in the Sultanate of Oman with 140 passengers on board an Airbus A320, a full load, a day after the first flight from Almaty also left fully booked on 23 October, Informburo.kz reports, citing the Civil Aviation Committee.
According to the Air Astana website cited by the outlet, a ticket on the direct Astana–Salalah flight costs about 166,000 tenge, with a seven-hour flight time; from Almaty it is about 148,000 tenge and six hours. The fare includes 23 kg of checked baggage and 8 kg of hand luggage.
Salalah is a city in southern Oman, in Dhofar governorate, on the Arabian Sea coast. The flights became possible after the governments of Kazakhstan and Oman signed an air services agreement on 6 October. In addition, Oman's low-cost carrier SalamAir flies between the two countries on the Almaty–Muscat route.
The Civil Aviation Committee expects the new routes to boost tourism, trade and cultural ties between the countries. The statement does not say how often the flights will operate or whether they will run year-round.
On the days when highways in Kazakhstan were being closed because of blizzards, the first flights to the Arabian Sea left full.
What it means: Kazakhs have a new direct route to the south of the Arabian Peninsula. A one-way ticket costs 148,000–166,000 tenge, and the first flights sold out.
Who benefits: Air Astana gains a new route with strong demand. Tourists can fly to Oman without changing planes. Oman gets a flow of tourists from Central Asia, and Kazakhstan expands its air links with the Gulf states.
Background: Kazakhstan and Oman signed an air services agreement on 6 October 2026; Air Astana operates the flights with Airbus A320 aircraft.
List of sources used: Informburo.kz
Artificial intelligence was used in preparing this material.
