Kazakhstan’s low-cost airline, FlyArystan, has announced the launch of ticket sales for a new seasonal route to China: Almaty – Yining (Kuldja) – Almaty, DKnews.kz reports.
The inaugural flight is scheduled for May 18, 2025. Flights will operate twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays.
FlyArystan will be the first Kazakh airline to serve this route. Yining, also known as Kuldja, is located in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and serves as the administrative center of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. The city is home to a significant Kazakh diaspora. Yining is situated near Khorgos, a key transportation hub on the Kazakhstan-China border. While the journey from Almaty to Yining takes an average of 10 hours by land, the flight will take approximately one hour.
Ticket prices for the Almaty – Yining (Kuldja) route start from 15,000 tenge one way, inclusive of all taxes and baggage. Tickets are now available for booking on the official website, via the mobile app, and through other sales channels.
Additionally, FlyArystan previously announced the resumption of flights from Astana to Urumqi, operating from April 13, 2025, twice a week. Departures from Astana are scheduled on Thursdays and Sundays, while return flights from Urumqi will operate on Mondays and Fridays.
It is worth noting that 2025 has been officially declared the Year of Tourism of China in Kazakhstan. Since November 10, 2023, a visa-free regime has been in effect between the two countries.
