Astana is hosting the second conference of the working group on cooperation in civil aviation in the "Central Asia - China" format, DKNews.kz reports.
The C5+1 format meeting brings together the heads of civil aviation authorities of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and the People's Republic of China, as well as representatives of aviation agencies, air navigation services and airlines.
Air traffic in Kazakhstan is growing
According to Darkhan Katyshev, Deputy Chairman of the Civil Aviation Committee of the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan, the country's air traffic volumes are steadily increasing year by year.
In 2023, Kazakh airlines carried 13 million passengers, and in 2024 - about 15 million. Of these, 55% were domestic flights and 45% - international. Since the pandemic, passenger volumes between the Central Asian countries and China have been steadily increasing, he noted.
Katyshev said that the main tasks today are improving aviation safety and technical reliability, expanding international routes, and developing tourism.
After the first conference, there were about 60 flights between Kazakhstan and China, but now their number has reached 78. In addition, air links with Turkey, Arab countries and other Central Asian states are also strengthening, - the committee representative emphasized.
Proposals from the Chinese side
Bai Wenli, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Relations of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, thanked the Kazakh side for hosting the conference in Astana and stressed the need to deepen bilateral cooperation.
Aviation is an important pillar in building the Eurasian transport hub. Over the past year, direct flights have been launched from China to the capitals of five Central Asian countries. The number of weekly passenger flights has reached 151, which is twice as many as in 2023 and three times as many as in 2019. We are ready to develop partnerships between airlines, increase flight frequencies and make travel easier, - said Bai Wenli.
The Chinese side put forward several specific proposals:
- Expanding airline partnerships - jointly developing the market, increasing passenger and cargo traffic.
- Facilitating air travel - streamlining customs and transit procedures.
- Improving the business environment - reducing fuel prices, upgrading infrastructure, developing "smart" airports.
- Strengthening flight safety - ensuring the safe operation of flights.
- Technical exchange - sharing experience in standards and technologies, continuing training programs.
The forum agenda also includes ensuring flight safety, developing transport and transit integration, improving the qualifications of aviation specialists, expanding the network of international routes, promoting environmentally sustainable aviation, and enhancing cooperation among the member states of the Eurasian Civil Aviation Conference (EACAC).
EACAC - an organization established in 2024 at the initiative of Kazakhstan. It aims to form a unified position of the Central Asian countries in cooperation with such international bodies as ICAO, the European Commission and IATA.
First meeting and future plans
The first C5+1 conference took place in 2024 in Xi'an, China. At that meeting, the parties agreed to meet annually to review the work done and discuss future plans.
The current conference in Astana is a continuation of this agreement. The participants are expected to adopt specific decisions aimed at expanding the common air market, improving service quality and ensuring safety.
The conference will last for two days.
