Air Astana and China Southern Airlines have signed a joint venture agreement to deepen cooperation on flights between Kazakhstan and China. Signed in Almaty on 30 October, the agreement provides for coordinated schedules, expanded codeshare services and joint marketing, building on the carriers’ existing partnership. Air Astana describes it as the first airline joint venture between the two countries; no implementation timetable was provided.
The airlines plan to align their commercial activities to offer more connections and access to destinations across their networks. Air Astana operates from Astana and Almaty to Urumqi, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, with up to 36 weekly return flights in peak season. China Southern serves Almaty and Astana from Urumqi, Beijing, Guangzhou and Xi’an, with up to 29 weekly return flights.
The agreement comes as scheduled air services between the countries expand. Kazakhstan’s transport ministry reported 117 flights a week across 21 routes, 52% more than in the same period in 2025, and more than one million passengers carried since the start of 2026. The ministry plans to increase the number of destinations served in China to 30.