UZBEKISTAN: Uzbekistan Classified 5th Safest Country For Single tourists

The report was based on a survey of residents of 142 countries according to several criteria, among which were questions about how safe they feel when walking alone in the city at night, whether they trust the local police and whether they have been robbed or attacked.

Singapore has the highest security index (97 units). It is followed by Norway, Iceland and Finland, each with a safety index of 93 units.

According to the press service of the State Committee for Tourism of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan ranked fifth in the ranking (91 units), followed by Hong Kong (91 units), Switzerland (91 units), Canada (90 units), Indonesia (89 units) and Denmark (88 units).

According to the legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan foreign citizens and stateless persons can enter Uzbekistan or travel through its territory for transit on the basis of entrance visas only.

Foreign citizens and stateless persons can get visas at the diplomatic representations and consular missions of the Republic of Uzbekistan abroad on the basis of the visa support upon confirmation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

1. A bilateral visa-free regime has been established with Kyrgyzstan of up to 60 days, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine.

2. From February 10, 2018, a visa-free regime was introduced for 30 days period for citizens of 7 countries: Japan, Indonesia, Israel, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Turkey.

The visa-free regime applies to citizens of these countries, holders of all categories of passports - diplomatic, service and civil planning to visit the Republic of Uzbekistan for up to 30 days, regardless of the purpose of their trip.

In order to enter the country, a person must have a valid national passport or another substitute document used for travel to foreign countries.

The visa-free regime does not apply to stateless persons permanently residing in the territories of these countries.

Accordingly, the visa-free regime is valid for 30 days from the date of entry into Uzbekistan. Before the end of the 30-day visa-free stay period, a foreign citizen must leave the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Exceeding the 30-day visa-free stay is recognized as violation of the Rules of stay of foreign citizens in the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Accordingly, if it is necessary to stay in Uzbekistan for more than 30 days, a foreign citizen must obtain an entry visa to the Republic of Uzbekistan in accordance with the established procedure, corresponding to the purpose of his trip.

3. From February 10, 2018, simplified procedure for issuing tourist visas is introduced for citizens of 39 countries as listed below.

That implies getting visa within two working days, not counting the day of receiving documents, with the cancellation of the requirement to provide a tourist voucher or an inviting legal / physical person in the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Previously, the simplified procedure for issuing visas was available for citizens of Austria, Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Spain, Italy, Latvia, France, Switzerland, Thailand, Czech Republic and Poland.

Tourists from these countries are given multiple-entry visas for up to 1 month, and representatives of the business community for up to 1 year, without requiring a tour voucher or an invitation from an inviting legal or physical person in Uzbekistan to the Uzbek Foreign Ministry.

Visas are issued within 2 working days, not counting the day of receipt of documents.

4. A visa-free regime is established with China, Hungary and Tajikistan (up to 30 days), Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (up to 60 days), Brazil, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Estonia, Kuwait and Turkey (up to 90 days).

Citizens of these countries who hold diplomatic passports and are accredited as employees of diplomatic missions or consular offices of their countries located on the territory of Uzbekistan, as well as members of their families have the right to enter and stay without visas for the entire period of work.

5. Uzbekistan and Japan issue visas without consular fees on the mutual basis.

6. According to the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan No.3836 of July 4, 2018 “On further measures for optimizing the order of entry of foreign citizens into the Republic of Uzbekistan” since July 15, 2018 these regulations are implemented:

- the system of issuing electronic entry tourist visas for foreign citizens, who enjoy a simplified procedure for issuing visa (list of countries is attached);

- short-term transit visa-free entry to the Republic of Uzbekistan for a period not exceeding five days for citizens of a number of countries (list of countries is attached). In this case the foreigners must transit through international airports of the Republic of Uzbekistan, provided they have an air ticket to a third country. This procedure applies transiting passengers wishing to explore the sights of Uzbekistan;

- visa-free entry to the Republic of Uzbekistan for foreign citizens up to 16 year old with biometric travel document. In this case they must be accompanied by legal representatives and they can stay in Uzbekistan for the duration of the visa of the accompanying person, but not more than ninety days since the date of entry into the country.

The list of countries whose citizens can enjoy simplified procedure for issuing tourist visa as well as on “e-visa.gov.uz”

1. Albania
2. Andorra
3. Australia
4. Austria
5. Belgium
6. Bosnia and Herzegovina
7. Bulgaria
8. Canada
9. China
10. Croatia
11. Czech Republic
12. Denmark
13. Estonia
14. Finland
15. France
16. Germany
17. Greece
18. Hungary
19. Iceland
20. India
21. Ireland
22. Italy
23. Kuwait
24. Latvia
25. Liechtenstein
26. Lithuania
27. Luxembourg
28. Macedonia
29. Malta
30. Monaco
31. Montenegro
32. Netherlands
33. New Zealand
34. Norway
35. Oman
36. Poland
37. Portugal
38. Romania
39. San Marino
40. Saudi Arabia
41. Serbia
42. Slovakia
43. Slovenia
44. Spain
45. Sweden
46. Switzerland
47. Thailand
48. United Arab Emirates
49. United Kingdom
50. United States of America
51. Vatican

The list of countries whose citizens can enjoy visa-free transit entry, stay up to 5 days

1. Albania
2. Algeria
3. Andorra
4. Antigua and Barbuda
5. Argentina
6. Australia
7. Austria
8. Bahamas
9. Bahrain
10. Barbados
11. Belgium
12. Belize
13. Bhutan
14. Bosnia and Herzegovina
15. Brazil
16. Brunei Darussalam
17. Bulgaria
18. Canada
19. Chile
20. China
21. Colombia
22. Costa Rica
23. Croatia
24. Cyprus
25. Czech Republic
26. Denmark
27. Dominica
28. Dominican Republic
29. Ecuador
30. Equatorial Guinea
31. Estonia
32. Fiji
33. Finland
34. France
35. Gabon
36. Germany
37. Greece
38. Grenada
39. Guatemala
40. Guyana
41. Honduras
42. Hungary
43. Iceland
44. India
45. Ireland
46. Italy
47. Jamaica
48. Kuwait
49. Latvia
50. Lebanon
51. Liechtenstein
52. Lithuania
53. Luxembourg
54. Macedonia
55. Maldives
56. Malta
57. Mauritius
58. Mexico
59. Monaco
60. Mongolia
61. Montenegro
62. Morocco
63. Nauru
64. Netherlands
65. New Zealand
66. Norway
67. Oman
68. Palau
69. Panama
70. Peru
71. Philippines
72. Poland
73. Portugal
74. Qatar
75. Romania
76. Saint Kitts and Nevis
77. Saint Lucia
78. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
79. San Marino
80. Saudi Arabia
81. Serbia
82. Seychelles
83. Slovakia
84. Slovenia
85. South Africa
86. Spain
87. Sri Lanka
88. Suriname
89. Sweden
90. Switzerland
91. Thailand
92. Trinidad and Tobago
93. Tunisia
94. Turkmenistan
95. United Arab Emirates
96. United Kingdom
97. United States of America
98. Uruguay
99. Vatican
100. Venezuela
101. Vietnam

The nationals of those countries which are not mentioned above should have a visa support - letter of invitation to obtain tourist visa to Uzbekistan.

Letter of invitation will be issued on the basis of visa application form and other documents submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan by our company on the behalf of the tourist.

The legislation of the Republic of Uzbekistan has set the following consular fees for the visa issuance:

a) For single entry visas:

· up to 7 days — $40;
· up to 15 days — $50;
· up to 30 days — $60;
· up to 3 months — $80;
· up to 6 months — $120;
· up to 1 year — $160.

Note: For each additional entry the fee shall be increased by $10.

b) For multiple entry visas:

· up to 6 months — $150;
· up to 1 year — $250.

c) For transit visas:

· up to 72 hours — $40;
· double entry transit visa — $50.

d) For group visas (groups must consist of more than 5 persons excluding children under 16 years old):

· up to 15 days — $15 per person;
· up to 30 days — $25 per person.

Except these fees the fees for reimbursement of actual expenses related to the visa issuance (administrative fees) will also be paid. The rates of these fees depend on the place of visa issuance (irrespective of applicant’s citizenship).

Note: Different procedure for issuance of entry visas may be applied to the citizens of those countries that have appropriate bilateral agreements with Uzbekistan.

Letter of Invitation to Uzbekistan (LOI)

To get a Letter of Invitation to Uzbekistan (LOI), please do the following:

- Fill out Uzbekistan Visa Support / Letter of Invitation (LOI) Form: Download Form

- Email us a good quality scan of your passport

- Email us a scan of an employment letter (retirees and housewives don't need it)

Flight tickets itinerary or flight reservation form is required only if visa is to be obtained on arrival at the International Airports of Uzbekistan.

Once we have received all above required documents and payment, we will submit your documents for approval by the Uzbek authorities. The approval period is about 3-5 working days.

Many travel agents "make" tourists to buy a tour package with a fixed itinerary. Our company doesn't "make" you do that.

Once your application is approved we will send you Visa Application Form and Letter of Invitation (LOI). As soon as you receive the papers you can apply for your Uzbek visa at the requested Embassy.

Why do 84% of tourists choose us?
Check mark Letter of invitation (LOI) without any extra services
Check mark The 2019 year's best price for Letter of invitation (LOI)
Check mark Reputation. We’re reliable, well known and people recommend us
Check mark 24 hour customer service
Check mark Instant answers to your questions
Check mark Big and professional team
Check mark Payment on arrival
Check mark Providing free local SIM card
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Cities and countries where an Uzbek visa can be obtained:
Abu Dhabi - The United Arab Emirates
Almaty - Kazakhstan
Ankara - Turkey
Ashkhabad - Turkmenistan
Athens - Greece
Baku - Azerbaijan
Bangkok - Thailand
Beijing - China
Berlin - Germany
Bishkek - Kyrgyzstan
Brussels - Belgium
Bukhara - Uzbekistan
Cairo - Egypt
Dubai - The United Arab Emirates
Dushanbe - Tajikistan
Frankfurt am Main - Germany
Islamabad - Pakistan
Istanbul - Turkey
Jakarta - Indonesia
Jeddah - Saudi Arabia
Kabul - Afghanistan
Kiev - Ukraine
Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia
Kuwait - Kuwait
London - The United Kingdom
Madrid - Spain
Mazare-Sharif - Afghanistan
Moscow - Russia
New Delhi - India
New York - The United States
Novosibirsk - Russia
Nukus - Uzbekistan
Paris - France
Riga - Latvia
Riyadh - Saudi Arabia
Rome - Italy
Samarkand - Uzbekistan
Seoul - South Korea
Shanghai - China
Singapore - Singapore
Tashkent Airport - Uzbekistan
Tashkent MFA - Uzbekistan
Tehran - Iran
Tel Aviv - Israel
Termez - Uzbekistan
Tokyo - Japan
Urgench - Uzbekistan
Vienna - Austria
Warsaw - Poland
Washington - The United States

- Children under 12 – half price.

- 10$ for each additional entry, double or triple entry visa.

- 100$ for visa extension up to 7 days - EXIT VISA.


Tourism Observer

RUSSIA: Ural Airlines To Start Sochi-Tashkent Flights From July 18, 2018.

Russian carrier Ural Airlines will launch new regular Sochi-Tashkent flights from July 18, the Russian company announced.

The flights will be carried out on Airbus A320 airplanes on Wednesdays. Return flights will be carried out on Thursdays.

The flight ticket will cost 10,661 Russian rubles ($168) including all taxes and fees.

Earlier it was reported that Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan agreed to increase number of flights between the two countries.

Uzbekistan and China announced in mid-June 2018 that that the countries may launch charter flights soon.

Ural Airlines ranks among top Russian airlines in terms of passenger traffic. At year-end 2017, it carried 8,000,474 passengers.

45 Airbus airliners (24 A320, 14 A321, and 7 A319) of the carrier serve more than 200 routes.

Ural Airlines is the owner of such international and national awards as Wings of Russia, Safety Leaders Awards, Best Russian Social Projects, National Geographic Traveler Awards, Time for Innovations, and others.

Ural Airlines is an airline based in Yekaterinburg, Russia, operates scheduled and chartered domestic and international flights out of Koltsovo International Airport. In 2012, the company transported 3.5 million passengers.

The airline was founded in 1943 as Sverdlovsk State Air Enterprises, and later became part of Aeroflot, the Soviet state airline, being in charge of Yekaterinburg Airport.

Following the split-up of Aeroflot, Ural Airlines became a joint stock company incorporated under the laws of the Russian Federation on 28 December 1993, and the airline business was separated from the airport.

In 2010, Ural Airlines retired all of its Antonov An-24s, Ilyushin Il-86s and Tupolev Tu-154B2s. The airline's Tupolev Tu-154M, in 164-seat two-class configuration, was retired on October 16, 2011.

Ural Airlines has 2262 employees. The technical base of the airline is one of the biggest and most modern in Russia. Its technical equipment and experienced engineers allow Ural Airlines to provide necessary services in-house. In 2012, the airline opened its training complex for pilots.

The system of training for Airbus A320 was 7.5 million euro. The complex included the construction works too, with 9 million euros. The airline's CEO says that pilot training now is not 4 days, but 4 hours. The airline also plans to buy the training complex for the Airbus A330-300.

In 2017, Skytrax gave Ural Airlines 3 stars, which made it the fourth airline with three stars in Russia and CIS after S7 Airlines, Uzbekistan Airlines and Air Moldova.

Currently, main hubs of Ural Airlines are Moscow-Domodedovo and Yekaterinburg. In plans of Ural Airlines is to increase its number of hubs, by developing hubs at Moscow-Sheremetyevo and Moscow-Zhukovsky.

Ural Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

- Azerbaijan Airlines

- Czech Airlines (SkyTeam)

- S7 Airlines (Oneworld)

- Uzbekistan Airways

Ural Airlines also started considering updating its fleet with newer Airbus A320neo family or Boeing 737 Next Generation and is still considering purchasing Airbus A330. The airline also considered purchasing Irkut MC-21, however the plans were most likely withdrawn.

Lately, Ural Airlines announced the purchase of 2 Airbus A321neoLR, that will be delivered in 2019, with a possible replacement of older Airbus A321-200.

The airline moved up its plans to increase its fleet size from 43 to 50 in 2018, moving up its original plans to do so by 2020.

As of June 2018, the Ural Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft:

- Airbus A319-100: 7

- Airbus A320-200: 24

- Airbus A321-200: 14

- Total: 45

Tourism Observer

KAZAKHSTAN: Qazaq Air To Sell Stakes To China Express Airlines

Kazakhstan state owned regional airline Qazaq Air and China Express Airlines, China’s first private regional airline, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on strategic cooperation in international regional passenger transportation.

As well as the possible participation of the Chinese carrier in the privatisation of Qazaq Air, the Kazakh airline has revealed in a statement.

The MOU was inked during the recent official visit to China of Nursultan Nazarbayev, president of the Republic of Kazakhstan, at which a meeting of the Kazakh-Chinese Business Council saw Blair Trekern Pollock, chairman of the board of Qazaq Air, and Longjiang Wu, chairman of the board of China Express Airlines, sign the document.

With this memorandum, the two regional airlines will have the opportunity to discuss the exchange of cross-border passenger traffic and the possibility of direct financial investment by China Express Airlines into the development of our company, states Blair Treherne Pollock.

Noting the significance of the agreement, Long-Jiang Wu stressed the importance of activating regional Kazakh-Chinese cooperation in the One Belt, One Road initiative.

In this context, the mutually beneficial cooperation between Qazaq Air and China Express Airlines is a continuation of a good-neighbourly partnership aimed at strengthening trade and economic ties between the two countries.

Since its launch in August 2015, Qazaq Air, which is 100 per cent-owned by state-run Samruk-Kazyna Fund, has served more than 530,000 passengers, in doing so becoming the growth leader in the Kazakhstan air travel market.

The outlook for this year is optimistic, with the airline expecting at least 20 per cent growth to reach a targeted 300,000 passengers.

Qazaq Air is expecting to take delivery of two new Bombardier Q400 next-gen aircraft in the spring of 2019.

The fleet will thus extend to five aircraft of the type. The airline currently operates three 78-seat, Canadian-built turboprops, with an average age of less than three years.

China Express popularly known as Huaxia Airlines became China’s first private regional carrier when it was established in 2006.

It operates a fleet of 35 Bombardier CRJ900 regional jets, along with three Airbus A320s and is based at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, in south-west China.


Tourism Observer

KAZAKHSTAN: Almaty And Astana Are Leading Airports, Air Astana Is Dominant Airline

Kazakhstan is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

According to the United Nations DESA / Population Division, the country’s population increased by about 14% from 2008 to 2017, rising from 16.0 million to 18.2 million.

The capacity available on domestic and international flights serving the nation has been keeping pace.

There were nearly 6.50 million seats available on all domestic and international flights serving Kazakhstan in 2008.

Like many markets around the world, Kazakhstan saw a cut in available seats in 2009 as the global recession took hold, but since then, the CIS member has enjoyed a strong return to form and a significant expansion of capacity on commercial air services.

By 2011, capacity had recovered to, and exceeded, the levels set in 2008. Seat numbers have increased from 6.32 million in 2010 to 12.83 million in 2017, meaning the market has doubled in size in less than a decade.

The average capacity on flights serving Kazakhstan decreased slightly from 128 in 2008, to 126 in 2017.

On domestic links, the average capacity dropped from 112 to 109 seats from 2008 to 2017, but international services experienced an increase from 144 to 147 seats-per-flight over the same period.

International flights still account for more than half of all seats in the Kazakhstan market, despite domestic services enjoying stronger year-on-year percentage growth across all but one of the past six years.

International services accounted for 53% of all two-way seats in 2017, down from 55% in 2008.

From 2008 to 2017, domestic seat numbers have more than doubled from 2.91 to 6.09 million, while international capacity increased by 88% from 3.58 to 6.74 million seats.

Kazakhstan’s flag carrier Air Astana dominates air services in its home country, accounting for 49% of all available seats in 2017.

Almaty-based operator currently has a fleet of 31 aircraft including E190s, A319s, A320s, A321s, 757s and 767-300s.

It was the leading provider of both domestic and international seats in its home market last year.

Air Astana accounted for 52% of domestic capacity and 46% of available international seats in 2017.

In total, four of the top 12 carriers from 2017 were Kazakhstan-based operators, while another three were from Russia, with two from Turkey and one each from Germany, Ukraine and the UAE.

Bek Air deployed the largest increase in seats amongst the top 12 airlines in this market in 2017.

The Kazakhstani carrier operates a fleet of seven Fokker 100s, more than trebled its capacity from 2016 to 2017, offering more than 1.00 million seats, mainly on domestic services.

Bek Air increased capacity on existing links but also added new nodes to its network, including a connection between Almaty and Shymkent.

Other carriers to see strong growth included Atlasglobal and flydubai which increased their available seats to and from Kazakhstan by 82% and 62% respectively.

Two carriers experienced cuts on Kazakhstan services, with Ukraine International Airlines witnessing the largest reduction of 15%.

Lufthansa is operating between Almaty and Astana, but these are triangular services connecting Kazakhstan’s largest airports with Frankfurt, and the German carrier does not sell seats on these domestic flights.

Even if this capacity is removed from Lufthansa’s total, it would still be the tenth largest seat provider serving Kazakhstan.

A notable new entrant to the Kazakhstan market in 2017 was Wizz Air, which launched services from Budapest to Astana.

Almaty and Astana are the largest departure points in Kazakhstan, having accounted for more than two-thirds of all departing seats from the country’s airport’s last year, with the former topping the table.

Air Astana operates a significant network of domestic and international routes from both facilities, although Almaty remains its largest base.

All of the top 12 airports in Kazakhstan experienced an increase in departing seats from 2016 to 2017 with the strongest growth coming at Uralsk, Kyzylorda and Shymkent, which witnessed respective increases of 66%, 34% and 31%.

Uralsk benefited from capacity increases on existing services by SCAT Airlines, Bek Air and Qazaq Air.

Given their prominence as the leading airports in Kazakhstan, it is not surprising that the top domestic route links Astana to Almaty.

One-way capacity from the capital city to the country’s largest airport increased by more than 13% from 2016 to 2017, exceeding 930,000 seats last year.

In all, nine of the ten largest domestic airport pairs serve either Astana or Almaty.

The one exception is the link between Aktau and Atyrau, which supported just under 100,000 seats in each direction in 2017, making it the seventh largest domestic service.

Russia was the leading international market from Kazakhstan in 2017, accounting for nearly one-third of all departing seats on international services.

The top two international routes in 2017 were the links between Moscow Sheremetyevo and Almaty and Astana.

Both airport pairs experienced a healthy 5.0% increase in seats from 2016 to 2017.

The countries making up the top 12 international markets from Kazakhstan remained the same from 2016 to 2017, but there were some ranking changes.

China experienced the strongest growth in departing international seats during this period and overtook the UAE to become the third largest market.

The 22% increase in seats to China was a result of capacity increases on existing services by Air Astana and China Southern Airlines, plus the introduction of Air China’s link to Beijing, which launched in June 2017.

Turkey maintained its position as the second largest international market from Kazakhstan following a 20% increase in seats.

31 new links were launched across all airports in Kazakhstan during 2017, 10 of which were domestic. SCAT Airlines launched the most of these services, commencing operations on 13.

The Kazakhstani carrier has already announced an additional new route for 2018, with plans to commence operations between Astana and Vilnius from 27 May.

The only other new Kazakhstan air services announced for 2018 so far are links from Novosibirsk to Pavlodar with S7 Airlines and from Moscow Sheremetyevo to Kyzylorda with Aeroflot.


Tourism Observer

KAZAKHSTAN: SCAT Airlines Starts Astana-Vilnius Flights

Kazakhstan’s SCAT airlines based in Shymkent launched May 27 a new Astana-Vilnius, Lithuania service.

The four-hour-and-40-minute Boeing-737 flights depart Thursdays and Sundays with economy return fares starting from $233.

A new route is first and foremost good news for our business community.

Economic ties between Lithuania and Kazakhstan are getting stronger year by year and we have been working hard over the past years to put this important and necessary route on our map.

Besides, exotic Central Asia is not just a business, but a very attractive destination entailing the search for undiscovered places for vacation, said Lithuanian Airports Director Marius Gelžinis at a May 27 press briefing in Vilnius.

Airline representatives said the route will facilitate inbound and outbound tourism, provide more opportunities for tour agencies, guides and the entire tourism infrastructure.

Lithuanian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Vytautas Nauduzas, also present at the press briefing, said the launch of the new route, a result of three years of negotiations, will bring the countries closer to increasing their trade from the current $1.7 billion to $2 billion.

We have good news today. The new route makes a journey from Vilnius to Astana and other cities in the Central Asian region and China more comfortable and less tiring.

The Lithuanian businesses are interested in entering the Kazakh market, yet the potential remains unfulfilled, said the Lithuanian ambassador.

Nauduzas noted Vilnius also offers a convenient link to other European cities.

For instance, you can get to Paris, Barcelona, Milan and many other capitals and cities in Europe, said the ambassador.

Head of SCAT Public Relations Department Viktoria Starozhilova said the ticket prices start from $233.

There is a flexible system of tariffs. There are minimal tariffs and higher. The minimal fare for an economy return ticket will be approximately 200 euros (US$233). Special offers are also frequent,” said Starozhilova.

The new routes are part of the company’s fleet and route network expansion plan.

Last year, the company announced it ordered six Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircrafts at the Dubai Air Show and in March Boeing delivered the first of six such aircraft to SCAT.

The airline plans to launch 14 more new routes, including to Milan, Vienna and Prague.

Another milestone for SCAT came in March as well, when it joined the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and passed the IATA Operational Safety Audit programme (IOSA).

Two years ago, the company passed an audit that examined more than 1,000 elements of its operational activity.

As of today, only two Kazakh airlines – SCAT and Air Astana – hold the IOSA certificate enabling them to fly to Europe.


Tourism Observer

KAZAKHSTAN: Akmola Region Goes For Spiritual Tourism

Akmola Region is a centrally located region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Kokshetau.

The national capital, Astana, is enclosed by the region, but is politically separate from Akmola Region. The region's population is 715,000; Kokshetau's is 157,000.

The area is 146,200 square kilometers. It and Karaganda Region are Kazakhstan's only two regions which don't touch the country's outer borders.

Akmola Region borders North Kazakhstan Region in the north, Pavlodar Region in the east, Karagandy Region in the south, and Kostanay Region in the west. Some gold and coal mining occur in the area.

Aqmola in Kazakh language means the white burial.

Ethnic Kazakhs account for 53.4% of the population in the 2017 census, compared to 33.7% for Russians.

Eight routes to sacred sites were approved as part of the Ruhani Zhangyru, Modernisation of Kazakhstan’s Identity programme in the Akmola region, according to Kazinform.

The project aims to develop a tourist cluster and increase the number of visitors up to three million per year.

Approximately 80 select routes implemented by local tour operators are included in the state register for the region.

Ten operators also promote tours to historic and sacred sites in the Birzhan Sal, Burabai, Kokshetau, Korgalzhyn, Yereimentau and Zerenda areas.

The Abylai Khan’s Headquarters architectural and historical complex is a project implemented as part of the inner and pilgrimage tourism sub-programme to attract tourists to the complex located near the Kokshetau Mountains.

The database of all architectural and historical sites located on the territory of the region is not systematised.

But this project creates a single architectural and historical complex titled Khan’s Headquarters with the historical monuments added after scientific research, said Akmola region tourism department head Daniyar Idiyatov.

The project includes Abylai Khan Square, Uali Khan’s burial site located near the Khankol area and a granite cave in the Kokshetau Mountains related to Kenessary, the last Kazakh khan.

A monument erected in honour of Abylai Khan stands in the centre of Kokshetau.

Our main target markets are Russia and China. There’s also an interest from visitors from India and Iran.

A quarter of all inbound tourists are from Russia. As for the domestic market, the Ruhani Zhangyru initiative is of special importance.

Large-scale work is underway to develop domestic tourism as part of this programme. Since the beginning of the year, we have developed a series of tourist maps, guidebooks and banners for outdoor advertising, he said.

Kazakhstan Is My Homeland, the second national expedition highlighting the region’s tourist and recreational potential, was organised last year.

More than 22,000 people gathered at the Flamingo regional festival in the Korgalzhyn district.

Visitaqmola.kz was launched this year to promote the Akmola brand. Interactive stands offering tourist information services were also installed.

Ethno-cultural tours including a visit to the maral or noble deer breeding farms and national cuisine presentation are being developed in Burabai.

The area will also be launching a unique museum where visitors can become acquainted with the local history and culture using 3D glasses.

The region is administratively divided into seventeen districts and the cities of Kokshetau and Stepnogorsk.[4]

- Akkol District, with the administrative center in the town of Akkol;

- Arshaly District, the settlement of Arshaly;

- Astrakhan District, selo of Astrakhanka;

- Atbasar District, the town of Atbasar;

- Bulandy District, the town of Makinsk;

- Burabay District, the town of Shchuchinsk;

- Egindikol District, the selo of Egindikol;

- Enbekshilder District, the town of Stepnyak;

- Ereymentau District, the town of Ereymentau;

- Esil District, the town of Esil;

- Korgalzhyn District, the selo of Korgalzhyn;

- Sandyktau District, the selo of Balkashino;

- Shortandy District, the settlement of Shortandy;

- Tselinograd District, the selo of Akmol;

- Zerendi District, the selo of Zerendi;

- Zhaksy District, the settlement of Zhaksy;

- Zharkain District, the town of Derzhavinsk.

The following ten localities in Akmola Region have town status: Akkol, Atbasar, Derzhavinsk, Ereymentau, Esil, Kokshetau, Makinsk, Shchuchinsk, Stepnogorsk, and Stepnyak.


Tourism Observer

KAZAKHSTAN: Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev Woos Singapore’s Tourism Investors

In developing tourism in Astana, Kazakhstan is studying the experience of Singapore, said Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev during a recent meeting with the founder and Managing Director of Hotel Properties Ong Beng Sen in Astana.

Hotel Properties is a Singapore-based corporation that owns hotels, resorts and shopping centres in 13 countries, including shares in Hilton International, Four Seasons, InterContinental Hotels Group and Six Senses Hotels.

The Kazakh President and his guest discussed tourism cooperation and investment in joint projects.

Nazarbayev said Kazakhstan seeks to develop its tourism sector and briefed the Singaporean businessman on efforts to boost tourism in Astana.

You are a well-known person in hospitality sector, working in many countries around the world.

Astana is a new capital and we intend to make it a tourist destination.

We are studying the experience of Singapore in this area, said Nazarbayev, noting the friendly relations between Kazakhstan and Singapore generally.

Our relations with Singapore are time-tested and good. I have been a good friend to Lee Kuan Yew, and we maintain close cooperation with the current prime minister.

We always meet at all international meetings and discuss how we can further strengthen our relations, said Nazarbayev.

Ong said Lee Kuan Yew insisted the company “to open something here,” but then the company was suffering losses.

You know, I think we are 25 years late, because when Mr Leek Kuan Yew asked me to look at two-three designer projects of hotels in Almaty, we considered the opportunities to turn hotels into modern hotels.

Of course, there were certain difficulties, because we did not know the country as we know it now.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew asked me to open something here, but then we were making hardly any profit.

You understand the difference between my experience then and now.

During these 25 years, he has been constantly telling me about Kazakhstan and its bigger potential compared to other countries, said Ong.


Tourism Observer

KAZAKHSTAN: Air Astana Slips Off Runway At Astana International Airport

An Air Astana Airbus A320-200 skidded off the runway during a windy approach at Astana International Airport.

The incident was captured by a passenger who was filming the heavy crosswind approach, as well as by an observer who was standing in front of the runway.

Air Astana’s flight KC352 departed Shymkent with 97 passengers and nine crew members.

As seen by the observer’s video, the plane approached Runway 22 with a dramatic crosswind angle.

Upon touching down, the aircraft abandoned the runway, crossing taxiways B and C, before returning to the runway’s centerline.

As seen in the video, the experience included heavy vibrations and terrified passengers.

Eyewitnesses say there were no injuries reported.

The plane suffered damage to the number-one (left) engine inlet.

The Airbus A320-200 was delivered to the airline in 2013 and is part of a fleet of other eight A320ceos and one A320neo.

Air Astana boasts a fleet of 31 planes, including Airbus A321, Boeing 757, 767, and Embraer E190.

The overall age of the airline’s fleet is averaging at 8.6 years.

Local reports confirm that thunderstorms with associated winds reached 49 knots of gusts.

In the city, a building crane collapsed.

Following the incident, the plane was towed to the apron and all passengers disembarked.

Astana Airport was closed for 40 minutes following the incident.


Tourism Observer

KAZAKHSTAN: SCAT Airlines Migrating Moscow Flights To Vnukovo

Kazakhstan’s SCAT Airlines is in the process of switching the destination airport for its three Moscow services from Domodedovo to Vnukovo. The carrier performed its first flight into Vnukovo from Aktobe on September 6. By October 29, it will have similarly changed the Moscow destination for its other two routes, from Shymkent and Aktau.

This is our 20th year in operation, and we are currently working to develop our route network,SCAT Vice-President Marketing Alexandra Sytnik said.

At the current stage, we find that Vnukovo offers convenient maintenance options, an appealing price policy, and a chance of concluding agreements with other airlines.

We have also received multiple requests from passengers to transfer to Vnukovo, which is located closer to the city and offers connection flights that are interesting to them.

Sytnik added that moving to Vnukovo should help the carrier keep its current prices despite the weaking Kazakhstani currency.

SCAT is the first Kazakh airline to launch flights to Vnukovo.

The Russian capital city is a key destination for the airline, which expects traffic on its Moscow routes to grow further.

In the first seven months of 2017 the figure stood at 33,800 passengers. up 16.5% year-on-year.

The carrier also plans to develop its route network through interline, code-sharing, and special prorate agreements.

We believe that Vnukovo will help us with this, Sytnik announced at the inauguration news conference for the Aktobe-Moscow route.

We will thus offer a great network of connection flights to Kazakh citizens, whereas Russian citizens will avail of our domestic route network, which is the most extensive in Kazakhstan.

This will give travelers the possibility to reach the farther corners of our country.

Sytnik said that SCAT is currently negotiating a possible interline and special prorate agreement, complete with full baggage transfer, with Russia’s UTair Aviation.

The latter uses Vnukovo as one of its bases, and performs about 160 flights per day from there.

SCAT Airlines currently operates 45 domestic and 22 international routes.

Its international destinations are in CIS countries and Georgia, as well as in China and Turkey.

The airline offers routes to several Russian cities other than Moscow, including Astrakhan, Krasnodar, Sochi, Makhachkala, Mineralnye Vody, and Kazan.

At present, SCAT is not allowed to operate flights between Moscow and Kazakhstan’s two largest cities, Astana and Almaty: the current intergovernmental agreements permits the two countries to designate only one operator each for these routes.

For the same reasons, Sytnik said the carrier cannot fly from Astana to Zhukovsky, another airport serving Moscow.

The airline believes that Zhukovsky offers great potential for cargo transportation.

The carrier is considering launching flights to Russia’s Orenburg, Chelyabinsk and St. Petersburg, and might relaunch operations to Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don, and Tomsk.



Tourism Observer

KAZAKHSTAN: SCAT Airlines Switching Destination Airport From Domodedovo To Vnukovo

Kazakhstan’s SCAT Airlines is in the process of switching the destination airport for its three Moscow services from Domodedovo to Vnukovo. The carrier performed its first flight into Vnukovo from Aktobe on September 6. By October 29, it will have similarly changed the Moscow destination for its other two routes, from Shymkent and Aktau.

This is our 20th year in operation, and we are currently working to develop our route network, SCAT Vice-President Marketing Alexandra Sytnik said. At the current stage, we find that Vnukovo offers convenient maintenance options, an appealing price policy, and a chance of concluding agreements with other airlines.

We have also received multiple requests from passengers to transfer to Vnukovo, which is located closer to the city and offers connection flights that are interesting to them.

Sytnik added that moving to Vnukovo should help the carrier keep its current prices despite the weaking Kazakhstani currency.

SCAT is the first Kazakh airline to launch flights to Vnukovo. The Russian capital city is a key destination for the airline, which expects traffic on its Moscow routes to grow further. In the first seven months of 2017 the figure stood at 33,800 passengers. up 16.5% year-on-year.

The carrier also plans to develop its route network through interline, code-sharing, and special prorate agreements.

We believe that Vnukovo will help us with this, Sytnik announced at the inauguration news conference for the Aktobe-Moscow route.

We will thus offer a great network of connection flights to Kazakh citizens, whereas Russian citizens will avail of our domestic route network, which is the most extensive in Kazakhstan.

This will give travelers the possibility to reach the farther corners of our country.

Sytnik said that SCAT is currently negotiating a possible interline and special prorate agreement, complete with full baggage transfer, with Russia’s UTair Aviation.

The latter uses Vnukovo as one of its bases, and performs about 160 flights per day from there.

SCAT Airlines currently operates 45 domestic and 22 international routes.

Its international destinations are in CIS countries and Georgia, as well as in China and Turkey.

The airline offers routes to several Russian cities other than Moscow, including Astrakhan, Krasnodar, Sochi, Makhachkala, Mineralnye Vody, and Kazan.

At present, SCAT is not allowed to operate flights between Moscow and Kazakhstan’s two largest cities, Astana and Almaty: the current intergovernmental agreements permits the two countries to designate only one operator each for these routes.

For the same reasons, Sytnik said the carrier cannot fly from Astana to Zhukovsky, another airport serving Moscow.

The airline believes that Zhukovsky offers great potential for cargo transportation.

The carrier is considering launching flights to Russia’s Orenburg, Chelyabinsk and St. Petersburg, and might relaunch operations to Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don, and Tomsk.


Tourism Observer

HUNGARY: Activities At Budapest Airport

Having already confirmed 22 new routes during 2017, Budapest Airport’s largest airline will be significantly expanding its own operations from the Hungarian gateway this year. Adding 12 new links, the ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) will offer 62 destinations from Hungary’s capital city airport, offering close to 4.5 million seats from Budapest throughout the year.

Launching the start of Budapest’s summer schedule, Wizz Air commenced its twice-weekly service to Faro on 1 April. Now offering 122,000 seats during S17 to Portugal, Budapest has witnessed a 140% increase in Portuguese services during the last twelve months. The ULCC faces no direct competition on its new service to the Algarve region as the link joins its existing operations to Lisbon and Porto.

Continuing to support the development of its home-base, Wizz Air has launched another two new services today. Reinstating Budapest’s direct link to Hannover with a four times weekly service, the new operation will satisfy the high volume of indirect traffic recorded from the region. The ULCC has also commenced its first direct flight to Norway from Hungary, starting its twice-weekly service to Bergen after increasing numbers of Hungarian travellers chose a Norwegian city break last year.

Later this week Budapest will welcome Wizz Air’s connection to Lamezia Terme. Seeing a rapid increase in the popularity of Italy as a leisure destination, the ULCC’s operation commencing 12 April, will be Budapest’s first direct link to the Italian city in the Calabria region.

Jost Lammers, CEO, Budapest Airport said: “The launch of Wizz Air’s latest links is a significant step in re-establishing good connections between Hungary and important economic destinations in the Balkan Peninsula. Working closely with Wizz Air we have ensured Budapest’s accessibility in the region, as well as further improving business relations between the countries.”

He added: “Wizz Air carried 3.3 million passengers on its Budapest routes last year and now, along with its latest additions to our network map, we look forward to ensuring the continued growth of
one of our largest airline partner’s services.”

Facing no direct competition on any of the routes, Budapest’s home-based carrier has launched twice-weekly services to each of the five Balkan Peninsula destinations seeing the Hungarian capital city grow its scheduled route network to 41 countries non-stop this summer.

Just days into S17, Budapest Airport has announced further expansion of its destination map, filling the white spot that was Kazakhstan. Confirming a twice-weekly service to Astana, Wizz Air will be linking the two capital cities from 8 June, utilizing the carrier’s fleet of 180-seat A320s on the 3,742 kilometer sector.

As Kazakhstan becomes Budapest’s 45th country market, the Central Asian operation means Wizz Air will now offer flights to 29 countries from its home-base. As the world’s youngest capital city, Astana can now be reached from Budapest in less than five hours as the ultra-low-cost-carrier’s (ULCC) direct link omits the previous need for connections via Istanbul, Prague or Minsk. Facing no direct competition on the airport pair, the ULCC’s new Kazakhstan connection joins the Hungarian gateway’s existing links in the region to Georgia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan.

“Filling another gap on our route map is proof of our continued commitment to be able to offer our passengers an ever-expanding selection of great destinations,” comments Balázs Bogáts, Head of Airline Development, Budapest Airport. “Wizz Air’s confirmation of Thursday and Sunday flights is perfect for a long weekend break for Hungarian and Kazakh travelers alike,” adds Bogáts.

Budapest Airport has announced further development in its expanding summer schedule with another welcome frequency increase on Air Canada rouge’s link to Toronto Pearson. Announcing just last November that the Canadian leisure carrier would be expanding its existing three times weekly operation from 19 May, three weeks earlier than 2016, the airline has confirmed the frequency will now be doubled during the peak season, commencing a six times weekly service from 21 June.

Experiencing a highly successful first year of operation, Air Canada rouge’s additional seasonal connections will mean Budapest’s weekly Canadian capacity will increase by another 20%, seeing an extra 7,300 seats to Canada during high summer. The airline’s additional services throughout S17 will give Air Canada rouge a 50% year-on-year capacity increase.

Commenting on the frequency increase, Jost Lammers, CEO, Budapest Airport, says: “Being able to announce yet more capacity on our Canadian link, and still less than a year after welcoming the Air Canada brand into our portfolio, is a great sign of the significant success the airline has experienced with us.” He added: “We continue to commit ourselves to offering a series of North American connections, in both business and leisure sectors, and these extra services will satisfy real demand.”

SWITZERLAND: Air China To Commence Zurich, Astana Flights From Beijing

On April 27, Air China held a press conference in Beijing to announce the launch of two new routes between Beijing and Astana and Beijing and Zurich. Due to be launched in June, these new routes will provide direct connections between China, Kazakhstan, and Switzerland.

The Beijing-Astana route will be launched on 1 June. Located in Kazakhstan, Astana is one of the world’s youngest capitals. It enjoys a reputation as one of the happiest and most modern cities in Central Asia. The launch of Air China’s Beijing-Astana route coincides with the 2017 World Expo, which will be held in Astana in June. The event is expected to attract visitors from all over the world.

China has a long history of friendly relations with Kazakhstan. Contact between the two nations dates back to the Western Han dynasty when the Chinese diplomat Zhang Qian visited the region.

In addition to being China’s second largest trading partner in the Commonwealth of Independent States, Kazakhstan is also one of the most important countries in the Silk Road Economic Belt region.

The Beijing-Astana route will provide a new direct connection between China and Kazakhstan and facilitate energy, transportation, tourism, culture, and trade cooperation between the two countries.

The Beijing-Zurich route will be launched on 7 June. Home to the global and European headquarters of over 100 banks, Zurich is surrounded by the famous Lake Zurich and the Alps, making it a popular destination for tourists from all over the world.

The city’s chic, laid-back character and the beautiful surroundings make it one of the world’s most livable cities. In recent years, China and Switzerland have held numerous high-level exchanges, and bilateral trade relations have gone from strength to strength.

During a state visit to Switzerland by President Xi Jinping in January this year, both countries agreed to cooperate on a number of issues to promote the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative, including infrastructure construction, finance, insurance, and industry.

The two countries also agreed to launch the 2017 “Sino-Swiss Year of Tourism” to boost tourist numbers. In addition to the new Beijing-Zurich route, Air China also flies from Beijing to Geneva, providing passengers with a choice of convenient, direct connections between China and Switzerland.

At the recent press conference, Air China’s Vice President Ma Chongxian explained the company’s growth strategy: In recent years, Air China has been expanding its route network to meet passengers’ needs. Operating from our three hubs in Beijing, Chengdu, and Shanghai, we plan to improve connections to a number of destinations in Europe, America, Asia, Africa and Australasia.

China’s OBOR initiative has also created new opportunities for us to expand our international route network. In 2015, Air China launched several routes between Beijing and key cities in the OBOR region, including Minsk, Budapest, Warsaw, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Colombo, and Islamabad.

As China’s only national flag carrier, Air China is committed to corporate social responsibility and plays an important role in facilitating the implementation of key national strategies, such as the OBOR initiative and the “Going Global Strategy”, which encourages Chinese enterprises to invest overseas.

Beijing-Astana: Flight no. CA791/2, three times weekly (Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday), Airbus A320. The outbound flight departs Beijing at 17:20 and arrives at 21:00; the inbound flight departs Astana at 22:30 and arrives at 05:30 (all times are local).

Beijing-Zurich: Flight no. CA781/2, four times weekly (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday). The outbound flight departs Beijing at 02:35 and arrives at 07:25; the inbound flight departs Zurich at 12:55 and arrives at 05:05 (all times are local).

The flights will be operated by an Airbus A330-200 featuring business class seats that can be fully reclined up to 180 degrees. Premium economy seats offer 120% more leg room than regular economy class, and economy class seats are ergonomically designed to reduce fatigue.

All seats feature a personal entertainment system.

KAZAKHSTAN: Visa Requirements Lifted For European Union, OECD Countries,Malaysia, Monaco, UAE,Singapore

Kazakhstan has lifted visa requirements for citizens of the European Union, OECD countries and a number of other states as part of efforts to boost investment and tourism.

The measure adopted earlier by neighboring Uzbekistan comes as Kazakhstan as Central Asia’s largest economy has been battered by low oil prices and financial distress in neighboring Russia.

According to Kazakhstan’s foreign ministry, since the beginning of 2017, citizens of EU and OECD countries, as well as Malaysia, Monaco, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore, could travel to Kazakhstan for up to 30 days without a visa.

In a statement, the ministry said the initiative was meant to promote an even more favorable investment climate and develop the country’s tourism potential.

The move will open up additional opportunities to the business community for cooperation with the outside world and facilitate international contacts in different spheres, the statement said.

Kazakhstan’s landscape is dotted with mountains, lakes and desert, and the glitzy capital Astana is home to futuristic architecture.

Back in December, neighboring Uzbekistan announced plans to roll back its highly restrictive tourism regime by canceling visa requirements for 15 countries.

In addition, Budapest Airport has announced further expansion of its destination map, filling the white spot that was Kazakhstan.

Confirming a twice-weekly service to Astana, Wizz Air will be linking the two capital cities from 8 June, utilizing the carrier’s fleet of 180-seat A320s on the 3,742 kilometer sector.

As Kazakhstan becomes Budapest’s 45th country market, the Central Asian operation means Wizz Air will now offer flights to 29 countries from its home-base.

As the world’s youngest capital city, Astana can now be reached from Budapest in less than five hours as the ultra-low-cost-carrier’s (ULCC) direct link omits the previous need for connections via Istanbul, Prague or Minsk.

Facing no direct competition on the airport pair, the ULCC’s new Kazakhstan connection joins the Hungarian gateway’s existing links in the region to Georgia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan.

Filling another gap on our route map is proof of our continued commitment to be able to offer our passengers an ever-expanding selection of great destinations, comments Balazs Bogats, Head of Airline Development, Budapest Airport.

Wizz Air’s confirmation of Thursday and Sunday flights is perfect for a long weekend break for Hungarian and Kazakh travelers alike,adds Bogats.

KAZAKHSTAN: Air Astana And Lufthansa Sign Codeshare Deal

Air Astana and Lufthansa have enhanced their cooperation with the signing of a codeshare agreement.

The codeshare agreement is valid on Air Astana’s flights between Astana and Frankfurt and Lufthansa’s flights from Frankfurt to Almaty and Astana.

The agreement allows for increased choice for the customers of both airlines. Passengers will now be able to choose from a combined total of 14 flights per week instead of the seven weekly flights between Kazakhstan and Germany by each carrier.

This is particularly convenient for connecting passengers, who now have the ability to choose the flight that suits their schedule best, with seamless connectivity.

Regardless of the operating carrier, passengers can fly a combination of Air Astana and Lufthansa services using the ticket and code of either of the two airlines.

I’m delighted that the longstanding co-operative relationship between Air Astana and Lufthansa is being further strengthened with the signing of the codeshare agreement.

Passengers flying from Almaty and Astana to Frankfurt can now enjoy a greater choice of flights to best suit their schedules and the convenience of simply using the ticket of either of the two airlines, said Peter Foster, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Astana.

This is a winning step for both airlines and their passengers flying between Kazakhstan and Germany.

Axel Hilgers, Senior Director Sales Russia, CIS & Israel, said: This code share agreement is great news for our customers as it makes Kazakhstan more accessible. Passengers of both Lufthansa and Air Astana will have a much greater choice in flight options.

Kazakhstan is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world and we highly welcome Air Astana as our new partner, and as the leading airline to and from Central Asia.

Besides improved connectivity of the combined network of the two airlines, customers will enjoy the seamless convenience of flying with a single ticket, using a single code of their airline that can provide through check in for both baggage and boarding pass/registration.

In order to provide an increased convenience for its passengers, Air Astana will move to Terminal 1 at Frankfurt Airport for ease of connectivity with Lufthansa and partner airline flights.

Meanwhile, Air Astana, Kazakhstan’s Skytrax award-winning national airline, returns to London Olympia with the announcement of a fifth weekly direct flight – on Sundays – from London Heathrow (LHR) to Kazakhstan’s capital city, Astana (TSE), effective 4th June 2017.

The new service departs T4 at 1715, arriving 0540 the following morning in Astana, a 6.25hr journey.

The return departs Astana at 1455hrs local time, arriving 1605hr the same day, a 7.10 flight.

The new service, conveniently timed ahead of the capital’s hosting of Expo 2017 (June 10th to September, 2017) complements existing departures to Astana on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Passengers flying direct with Air Astana, the only direct service between the two capitals, also benefit from seamless same-day connections to Kazakhstan’s second city Almaty and international destinations including Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital; Urumqi, northwest China; Tbilisi, Georgia; and the Russian cities of Novosibirsk and Yekaterinburg.

Air Astana offers a three class product aboard its comfortable Boeing 757 aircraft – 16 seats in business; 108 in economy and up to 12 innovative Economy Sleeper Seats, which afford more personal space and privacy with a guaranteed row of three seats in the front of the Economy class cabin.

Return fares start from £498 for Economy Class, £1,505 for an Economy Sleeper, and £1,968 for Business Class. Fares include all taxes and are valid for year round departures from London including the peak season.

BELARUS: Belavia Acquires New Boeing 737-800

Belarusian flag carrier Belavia has finalized the acceptance of new narrow-body Boeing 737-800s under a contract inked in 2014. The airplane with the tail number EW-457PA turned out to be the last one in the batch of three aircraft, the airline reported on its Facebook page.

The newly arrived airliner received a revamped livery just like the two previous aircraft delivered in August and September.

The new look of the airplanes is the part of the airline’s branding project.

Belavia’s acquisition of all three aircraft is brokered by the Bank of Development of the Republic of Belarus.

The carrier underlines that the new airliners will allow it to reduce operational costs and, thus, bring down ticket prices.

The Boeings will replace company’s Soviet-era Tupolev Tu-154Ms.

Therefore, Belavia sticks to its previously announced plans of switching to Western-made aircraft operations only.

Belavia arrives in Zhukovsky.

Belavia launched daily flights between Minsk and Moscow's Zhukovsky in September 2016.

Belarusian flag carrier Belavia has launched a daily Moscow service from Minsk to Zhukovsky (IATA code ZIA) in September, with evening flights departing both capitals on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, and morning flights on the other days.

"This odd-even timetable is deliberate," reveals Ihar Charhinets, the airline’s deputy general director for marketing. "As we develop the route we are planning to add three more morning flights and four evening flights per week to eventually operate twice-daily services each way; this winter's timetable will include an additional Friday evening flight.

“We are gauging the route's popularity with 76-seat Embraer E175s, with a view to increasing capacity as required. Several flights have already been performed with 148-seat Boeing 737-300s.

On certain days of the week we will be flying bigger Boeings instead of the Embraers," he adds.

The inauguration of the Minsk-Zhukovsky service may have strategic significance for Belavia.

Belarus and Russia enjoy a fairly liberal intergovernmental agreement on bilateral air services: there are no restrictions on the number of designated carriers, destinations served, capacities, or frequencies.

The only exception is the Minsk-Moscow route, on which either side has the right to operate seven flights per week, a concession currently being used to the full by both sides.

Belavia, which already operates to Moscow’s Domodedovo (DME), is the designated Belarusian carrier for the city pair, with Aeroflot and Utair the Russian operators, and even though it is located just outside of Moscow (some 43 km from the city centre), Zhukovsky is not formally regarded as a Moscow airport.

This affords Belavia access without any restrictions.

Although the new Moscow airport remains underserved by public transport, the regional administration promises this situation will improve as passenger numbers grow over time the Zhukovsky management plans to serve 350,000 to 400,000 passengers this year and up to two million in 2017.

For Belavia, adding the Zhukovsky service to its existing Domodedovo portfolio is of strategic importance especially with regard to developing its transit traffic through Minsk.

"The Zhukovsky flight connects passengers to virtually all our European services," Charhinets notes. "We make a point of developing transfer services. The population of Belarus stands at just 9.5 million, which is less than the population of Moscow, not to mention the entire Moscow region.

The demand for point-to-point out of Minsk is there, but it is limited. Our strategy, therefore, is to go with the transfer business model; at present, more than 30 per cent of our passengers take connecting flights."

The current economic situation in Belarus has been stifling demand for direct flights. More than 50 per cent of the Belarusian economy is linked to Russia, so we are affected by the same economic processes," Charhinets explains.

The population's purchasing power in dollar equivalent has shrunk and our costs, just like those incurred by all the other carriers, are denominated in dollars.

But we cannot adjust our fares directly by tying them to the euro exchange of the day, because this way we will not be able to sell any tickets. We have to look for alternative solutions."

Belavia has been lucky in a way: because of the soured relations between Russia and Ukraine, bilateral air services between the two stopped on October 25, 2015, thereby prompting a significant number of passengers to fly via Minsk instead.

As a result, from spring 2016, Kyiv-Minsk has been the busiest route linking Ukraine and Belarus. Furthermore, an intergovernmental agreement liberalising air services between Belarus and Ukraine has enabled Belavia to increase its frequencies between Minsk and Kyiv from two to five a day, and inaugurate services from Minsk to Odesa, Kharkiv and Lviv.

Charhinets dismisses the luck factor though. We first introduced our transfer business model five years ago and we have been working actively to evolve it.

It was because of this that we managed to get a portion of the Kyiv -Moscow passengers.

We have plenty of rivals, so it is not about us having been lucky, rather about us being best positioned to operate in this manner.

Charhinets reveals that Belavia, which does not enjoy a monopoly position on any single market, has done a lot to promote and modernise its products in a variety of countries.

Amongst other developments, the Belarus airline has introduced new information technologies, joined IATA's Billing and Settlement Plan system, made sure its layover times are minimal, and introduced through fares for transit passengers.

For example, there are a multitude of possible connection flights from Paris to Moscow, not to mention direct services,he says.

However, we carry some passengers traveling from Paris on virtually every flight to Moscow. We certainly need to keep working, but we are moving in the right direction.

An additional boost to the airline's transfer business model may come in the form of a simplification of transfer rules for foreign passengers transitting Belarus, but no relevant government decision has yet been made.

There is also potential for further growth in connecting Russian regional centres to European destinations via Minsk.

Belavia's convenient geographic location makes it possible for the airline to do what Kaliningrad-based KD Avia attempted in 2007: offer Russian regional passengers transfer flights to Europe bypassing Moscow.

A combination of factors forced KD Avia to cease operations in 2009, and this business model has not been tried by anyone since.

Apart from Moscow, Belavia currently serves Russia's St Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Sochi, and Krasnodar, and formerly served Samara, Yekaterinburg, and Novosibirsk.

Restraining further development of regional Russian operations though are the high service charges Belavia is forced to pay in Russia. Charhinets reveals that the Belarus carrier is charged five times more than Russian airlines for air navigation services.

Airport handling fees are also higher, although not drastically as steep.

This price difference persists despite both countries being part of the common union state and the Eurasian Economic Union – and renders Belavia's fares so uncompetitive that it is currently cheaper to fly with a Russian carrier from a regional airport to Minsk via Moscow.

There is a possibility that this price disparity will be eliminated by late 2016: a preliminary agreement to that effect was signed more than two years ago between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, but there has been no further progress, says Charhinets.

Meanwhile, a further increase in Belavia's passenger numbers may result from the company's substantial rebranding effort from mid-August of this year.

Apart from introducing an all-new livery for its airliners, the carrier overhauled the corporate style of its offices, launched new crew uniforms, refurbished its website and re-conceptualised its advertising campaign.

The management insists that with the new image Belavia will not only distance itself from its Soviet legacy but will also mark the airline's transition from a full-service business model to a hybrid concept incorporating low-cost elements. "We are not planning to turn into an low-cost carrier completely, but we are studying and introducing certain approaches along these lines," Charhinets reveals. "Last year we managed to bring our fares down by 20 per cent; this year, we aim to achieve a further 10 per cent reduction."

FINLAND: Finnair To Fly To Astana From Helsinki

Finnair will add a new short-haul route to Astana, Kazakhstan for the summer 2017 season, operating two weekly flights between Helsinki and Astana from 20 June to 11 August. The new route will coincide with the 2017 World Expo, which starts in June 2017.

Finnair’s flights to Astana will be flown with an A319 aircraft and have a duration of four hours and ten minutes. Helsinki departures will be flown on Tuesdays and Thursdays while flights from Astana will return on Wednesdays and Fridays.

THAILAND: Thailand Doubles Visa-on-arrival For 18 Countries

The new charge will come into effect on 27 September, and apply to the citizens of all 18 countries offered visa-on-arrival in Thailand. These include China, India, Taiwan and Saudi Arabia.

The newspaper reported the Thai Foreign Ministry as saying that the decision to implement a 100% increase was based on the belief that the current charge is lower than the visa fees paid by Thai tourists visiting other countries.

The timing of the decision is not ideal however; Thailand’s tourism authorities are working hard to encourage international travellers not to cancel their trips to the kingdom, following the recent bombings in several resort areas. The reason for the attacks is still unclear.

The other countries offered visa-on-arrival to Thailand are Bulgaria, Bhutan, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Romania, San Marino, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Western Tian Shan Is UNESCO World Heritage Site

Mountains of Western Tian Shan were included to the UNESCO World Heritage List, reports the press-service of the international organization.

The Committee made the decision at the 40th session in Istanbul held from July 10 to 17.
Natural border is a part of Central Asian mountain system of Tian Shan, one of the largest mountain ranges out of seven in the world. Its western part is located in the territories of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The height of the various peaks of celestial mountains in this area varies from 700 to 4503 meters.

The highest point is the Chatkal peak on the territory of Kyrgyzstan, in the eastern part of Chatkal ridge. The region outstands with various landscapes, specific flora and fauna. The western Tian Shan has an international significance as this is where many kinds of fruit trees originate from.

Kyrgyzstan To Host 2nd World Nomad Games

The dates of the Second World Nomad games have been set, reports the official website of the games worldnomadgames.com. The unique event will be held this autumn, from September 3 to 8 in the Issyk-Kul region.

Currently Issyk-Kul gets ready for the games; the roads and hippodrome are being reconstructed. At the Second World Nomads Games the audience will enjoy such national games as Salburun (hunting with eagles), kok boru (equestrian games), ordo (dice), the alysh fight, toguztorgool (strategy game).

In total, 26 types of the national sports and the same quantity of teams from different countries, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Russia, are expected at the event. The games will be traditionally accompanied by a variety of ethnic and cultural activities.

KYRGYZSTAN: “Aitysh” In UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Kyrgyz improvisation art “Aitysh” was inscribed to the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. It was reported by the National Commission. According to it, nomination of “Aitysh/aitys” was presented by Kyrgyzstan along with Kazakhstan.

One of the traditional forms of the folk song poetry “Aitysh” is a competition of two people in art of oral-poetic improvisation. Listeners gather around the performers and put forward themes to them. Contestants start reading poems composing them on the spot to the accompaniment of traditional national musical instruments, such as dombra or komuz. The winner is the performer considered to have demonstrated talent, wit, the best musical skills, and originality.

“Aitysh”, as the Kyrgyz state, is not simply a form of folk entertainment, but rather a symbol of national identity of the people of Central Asia. The genre of this oral art is common among Kazakhs, Bashkirs, Uzbeks and Turkmens.

Earlier, the UNESCO List of Kyrgyzstan included the art of akyns (performers of epos) and the holiday of Navruz.