More nonstop flights to be added between S. Korea, Kazakhstan

ASTANA, Kazakhstan -- The presidential office on Wednesday revealed plans to add nonstop flights between South Korea's port city of Incheon and cities of Kazakhstan, namely the capital city of Astana and its most populous city, Almaty.

Park Chun-sup, senior presidential secretary for economic affairs, told reporters in a briefing that South Korean budget carrier T'way Air is poised to start operating direct flights between Incheon and Astana soon, two or three times a week.

Also, another low-cost airline, Eastar Jet, will operate nonstop flights between Incheon and Almaty at least twice a week.

Park did not elaborate on when these low-cost carriers would commence the flights, or on which dates they would be available.

Earlier on Wednesday, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev recognized the increased number of flights between Seoul and Astana as one effort to strengthen bilateral ties. Tokayev also highlighted the 30-day visa exemption agreement between South Korea and Kazakhstan that resumed in 2021, after a one-year suspension due to the pandemic.

Currently, Air Astana is the only airline that runs nonstop 6 1/2-hour flights between Astana and Incheon on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Air Astana resumed the flights on June 15, four years after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak had suspended the route launched in 2015.

As for the Incheon-Almaty route, South Korea's Asiana Airlines and Air Astana operate direct six-hour flights.

The aviation authorities of South Korea and Kazakhstan agreed to increase the number of weekly flights from 10 to 42 in March.