On April 9, 2026, a ceremony was held in Shanghai to mark the launch of a new direct air service on the Almaty–Shanghai route, organized by Kazakhstan's national airline. The introduction of this flight will provide an additional boost to the development of bilateral cooperation, particularly in the economic sphere between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the People's Republic of China.

The event was attended by Nurlan Akkoshkarov, Consul General of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Shanghai. In his remarks, he pointed out that the opening of the direct Almaty–Shanghai flight is a strategically significant move aimed at deepening bilateral interaction, expanding trade, economic, and investment cooperation, and further promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Holding the ceremony during the visit of Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng to Kazakhstan from April 7–10 of this year was a symbolic step in strengthening the sister-city ties between Almaty and Shanghai, which were established in June 2025.

The launch of the new route was attended by the management of Air Astana, representatives of the Shanghai Foreign Affairs Office, as well as heads of government agencies and business circles of the metropolis, underscoring the high level of interest among the parties in the further development of regional cooperation.

The launch of the new flight by Air Astana meets the growing demand for direct air travel and helps improve Kazakhstan's transport accessibility. The opening of another route will give additional momentum to the development of the strategic partnership between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the People's Republic of China, and will also serve as an additional driver for further activating interregional cooperation and bilateral relations.

Furthermore, this strengthens Kazakhstan's role as a key transit hub connecting China with Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Middle East, and Europe.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-shanghai/press/news/details/1197833?lang=kk