On 24 October 2026, on the eve of the Republic Day of Kazakhstan, a grand opening ceremony was held to mark the launch of a new international flight route operated by Air Astana between Astana and Salalah (Sultanate of Oman). The flights will be operated using Airbus A320 aircraft.
The launch of this new route is part of the implementation of the Head of State’s directives aimed at developing the aviation industry, expanding the geographical reach of international flights, and strengthening Kazakhstan’s position as a transit aviation hub.
An important step in developing air connectivity between the two countries was the signing, on 6 October this year, of the Agreement on Air Services between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Sultanate of Oman. The agreement was signed during a meeting between the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said.
The opening ceremony for the new route was attended by Talgat Lastayev, Vice Minister of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Yerbolat Baysalykov, Senior Vice President of Air Astana; Ruslan Pyshtanov and Yermek Kumysbayev, Deputy Chairmen of the Management Board of Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport; and representatives of the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The inaugural flight carried 140 passengers, indicating that the aircraft was fully booked. A day earlier, on 23 October, the first flight from Almaty to Salalah also operated at full passenger capacity.
Currently, air connectivity between Kazakhstan and Oman is also provided on the Almaty–Muscat route by SalamAir. With these launches, Kazakhstan’s national carrier has expanded its international route network with two new destinations in the Sultanate of Oman.
The launch of these new air routes is expected to contribute to the development of tourism, trade and economic cooperation, and cultural ties between Kazakhstan and Oman, while providing citizens with more travel opportunities.
