Air Astana and China Southern Airlines Sign Joint Venture Agreement

Air Astana and China Southern Airlines have signed a joint venture agreement to expand commercial cooperation and strengthen air connectivity between Kazakhstan and China, building on their existing codeshare partnership.

The agreement, described as the first airline joint venture between the two countries, will involve coordinated flight schedules, expanded codeshare arrangements and joint marketing initiatives. The carriers also intend to improve passenger connections and align certain travel conditions across their networks.

Air Astana currently operates services from Astana and Almaty to Urumqi, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai, offering up to 36 weekly round-trip flights during peak periods. China Southern Airlines operates up to 29 weekly round-trip flights connecting Urumqi, Beijing, Guangzhou and Xi’an with Almaty and Astana.

According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport, scheduled flights between the two countries have increased by 52% compared with the corresponding period in 2025, reaching 117 weekly flights across 21 routes. Passenger traffic has exceeded one million travelers since the beginning of 2026.

The Kazakh government is targeting further expansion of bilateral air connectivity, with plans to increase the network to 30 destinations.

The joint venture is intended to support growing business, tourism and connecting passenger traffic while strengthening Kazakhstan’s position as an aviation gateway between China, Central Asia and Europe.

The airlines did not disclose financial arrangements, revenue-sharing terms or an implementation timetable for the joint venture.