Direct air flight operations between Kazakhstan and Pakistan would start effective July 8, marking a significant milestone in fostering economic, social, and cultural integration between the two nations, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan, Yerzhan Kistafin announced on Tuesday.
A comfortable Boeing 737 will fly from Almaty to Lahore twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Addressing a round table on ‘Kazakhstan and Pakistan bilateral ties and way forward,’ Ambassador Kistafin announced that the direct air flight between Almaty and Lahore would inaugurate the new air route, greatly facilitating travel and trade between the two countries.
Stressing the importance of such air connections for regional economic and trade integration, the ambassador highlighted that the flight’s duration would be a mere 2 hours, promising to boost economic and trade relations significantly along with exciting possibilities for cooperation in the field of tourism.
He further emphasized that the success of this air service between Almaty and Lahore could pave the way for future routes connecting other major cities, such as Islamabad and Karachi.
SCAT Airlines
Kazakhstan’s SCAT Airlines has been scooting around Kazakhstan and Central Asia since 1997. The Kazakh carrier has a small fleet of just 27 aircraft. This consists of Boeing 737s, 757s, and 767s, as well as the Bombardier CRJ-200.
The airline connects the cities of Europe and Asia, offering direct flights, at competitive prices. The airline is operating more than 80 domestic and international air routes, annually offering up to ten new destinations, with passenger traffic increased on average by 40%
Committed to promoting bilateral relations
Ambassador Kistafin also mentioned the recent phone conversation between Kazakhstan’s President, Kassim Takayov, and Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, where they discussed mutual areas of interest, underscoring the commitment of both countries leadership to strengthen and promote bilateral economic, trade, and diplomatic relations.
Notably, Kazakhstan is a key member of the Eurasian Organization, and Pakistan stands to gain from this membership, opening doors for enhanced regional cooperation. Currently, 35 bilateral Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) have been signed between the two nations across various sectors, and most of them have already been implemented.
Director of Pakistan China Institute of Strategic Studies and Central Asia, Dr. Talat Shabbir, also elaborated on the extensive possibilities for economic, trade, and diplomatic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Pakistan.