The issue of expanding air traffic between Almaty and major cities in China, as well as strengthening tourism and business ties, was discussed during a meeting between Almaty Akim Yerbolat Dossayev and Chairman of Air China Limited, President of China National Aviation Holding Company, Mr. Ma Zhongxian. This event took place in Beijing as part of Almaty Akim Yerbolat Dossayev's working visit to the People's Republic of China.
The main result of the meeting was the signing of a memorandum on facilitating the opening of flights between the Almaty Akim and China's national air carrier Air China.
The parties, emphasizing the importance of economic growth and cultural exchange between the two countries, considered the possibility of launching an additional Almaty-Beijing flight and a new Almaty-Chengdu flight in order to increase passenger traffic and simplify logistics for tourists from Kazakhstan and China.
“The signed memorandum is an important step in the development of Almaty's international transport links. China is one of the main target markets for the development of Almaty's tourism. 2024 was declared the Year of Kazakhstan Tourism in China, and this year is the Year of China Tourism in Kazakhstan. Last year, more than 95.3 thousand tourists from China visited Almaty, which showed an increase of 54%. We believe that the rapid development of tourist flows will continue within the framework of the agreement signed,” said Yerbolat Dossayev.
“The award “The Most Promising New Destination of 2025” by the Chinese agency Tongcheng Travel indicates the recognition of Almaty’s tourism potential and the increased interest of Chinese tourists in the region. In general, about 2 million tourists visited Almaty in 2024, including more than 600 thousand foreign tourists. In 2025, 2.3 million tourists, including 700 thousand foreign tourists, are expected to arrive,” said Yerbolat Dossayev.

In turn, Mr. Ma Zhongxian, President of China National Aviation Holding Company, expressed gratitude for the meeting and expressed his intention for fruitful cooperation in the future. "Almaty is the cultural, business and tourist center of Kazakhstan, as well as an important link connecting Europe and Asia. As the main "air gateway" of Kazakhstan, Almaty is the starting point for trips across Central Asia," he said.
The additional flight on the Almaty-Beijing route and the new flight on the Almaty-Chengdu route are planned to be launched in June 2024. Currently, preparatory work is underway together with the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The relevant routes will be opened after the allocation of flight rights.
The additional flight "Almaty-Beijing" and the new flight "Almaty-Chengdu" are planned to be launched in June this year. Currently, preparatory work is underway, the relevant routes will be opened after the allocation of flight rights.
It should be noted that Almaty, as the largest city in Kazakhstan, is actively modernizing its transport infrastructure. In 2024, the construction of a new international airport terminal will be completed, increasing its capacity to 14 million passengers per year.

Reference:
Air China is China's leading air carrier and a member of the global aviation alliance Star Alliance. The Beijing airport has a fleet of 952 aircraft, of which 535 belong to Air China. Currently, direct flights from Almaty to the following cities in China are open: Beijing - 53 flights per month (Air Astana - 22, China Southern Airlines - 31), Urumqi - 61 flights per month (Air Astana - 17, China Southern Airlines - 44), Xi'an - 9 flights per month (China Southern Airlines), Hangzhou - 18 flights per month (Loong Air), Sanya - 9 flights per month (Air Astana).

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/almaty/press/news/details/939941