‍DALLAS — Air Astana (KC) and China Southern Airlines (CZ) have signed a codeshare agreement on July 29, expanding connectivity on key routes between Kazakhstan and China. The deal covers KC services from Almaty (ALA) to Beijing (PEK), ALA to Urumqi (URC), as well as  ALA to Guangzhou (CAN). It also includes flights between Astana (NQZ) and PEK. 

Air Astana Group CEO Peter Foster said, "China has always been a strategically important market for Air Astana. Partnering with China Southern Airlines will boost trade, tourism, and cultural links with China and open a new chapter in aviation cooperation between the two countries."

For China Southern Airlines, the agreement covers routes operated from Beijing Daxing (PKX) to ALA, CAN to ALA, URC to ALA, and Xian (XIY) to ALA. It also includes services between CAN and NQZ, as well as URC and NQZ.

China Southern Airlines President and CEO Han Wensheng stated, “Codeshare cooperation with Air Astana will result in an increase in our service frequencies to Kazakhstan. It is not only a strategic move leveraging both airlines’ strengths but also a significant step in deepening Belt and Road aviation connectivity between China and Kazakhstan”.

Air Astana Group is the largest airline group in Central Asia and the Caucasus region according to revenue and fleet size. The Group operates a fleet of 61 aircraft split between its full-service airline, KC (established in 2002), and FlyArystan (FS), its low-cost subsidiary established in 2019. CZ operates the most extensive network in Central Asia out of all Chinese carriers, with services to 5\five Central Asian countries.