Air Astana, Kazakhstan’s flag carrier, has reopened its entire domestic and international network, some two weeks after the country was rocked by civil turmoil.
Regular flights to Colombo, Male, Phuket, London, Dubai, Antalya, Dushanbe, and Bishkek will resume. The airline will fly 13 Airbus A321s, five Airbus A320s, five Embraer E2s, and three Boeing 767s from its 26-strong fleet.
Anti-government protestors attacked Almaty International Airport (ALA) on January 5, 2022, causing flights to be canceled. Government troops later reclaimed the airport.
As a result, airlines such as Lufthansa (LHAB) (LHA), flydubai, and Air Arabia have halted flights to Almaty, Kazakhstan’s capital.
The demonstration was spurred by a sharp increase in the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) following the government’s lifting of price restrictions earlier this year. Many Kazakhs have converted their cars to operate on LPG due to its inexpensive cost.
The protest evolved into a protest against economic inequity and government corruption.
Мы возобновили полеты по 15 внутренним и 30 международным направлениям. До встречи!
call.centre@airastana.com
+7 727 244 4477 (8.00-00.00)
+7 7172 584477 (8.00-00.00)
+7 702 702 4477 (8.00 – 00.00)
WhatsApp: 87027020148 (8.00-20.00)
Online chat: https://t.co/elVKyCCKtq (24/7) pic.twitter.com/P1AajQKmUI— Air Astana (@airastana) January 19, 2022
As a result, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has appealed for assistance from members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which comprises Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
“An anti-terrorist operation has been launched. The forces of law and order are working hard. The constitutional order has largely been restored in all regions of the country,” Tokayev said on January 7, 2022, in a statement cited by Reuters.
According to Russia’s defense minister, Russian-led soldiers returned to Kazakhstan on January 15, 2022, after the Kazakh government reclaimed control of the country.
