The national airline of Kazakhstan will again connect Almaty with the Chinese capital from November 22, 2022.

The flights are operated once a week with an Airbus A321LR. Air Astana is thus further expanding the route network to China in addition to the two weekly flights from Almaty to Chengdu. Departure from Almaty is at 1:35 am and passengers land in Beijing at 8:30 am. Return from the Chinese capital at 11:30 am arriving in Almaty at 14:45 pm. All times refer to the respective local time.

The airline has been offering Beijing flights since 2002, but paused the connection from March 2020 due to the corona pandemic. In these 18 years, more than 1,1 million passengers have been transported on the route, according to Air Astana in a broadcast. The resumption of the route comes as a surprise, especially since China has so far adhered to its own zero-Covid policy and is therefore one of the few countries that has hardly opened up to date.

Accordingly, all air travelers are obliged to undergo a ten-day quarantine upon arrival in Beijing. In addition, all passengers from Kazakhstan, including those in transit, are required to present a health code issued by the Chinese Embassy in Kazakhstan or the Chinese Consulate General in Almaty. In addition, a negative PCR test result from two different laboratories must be submitted both 24 hours and 48 hours before departure.