Flydubai, the Dubai-based airline, announced the resumption of flights to Shymkent International Airport (CIT) from 28 February with a twice-weekly service. With the start of flights to Shymkent, flydubai grows its network in Kazakhstan to three destinations including Almaty and the capital, Astana. As informed by a news report in Khaleej Times

Ghaith Al Ghaith, chief executive officer at flydubai, said Kazakhstan has long been an important market since we first launched operations to Almaty in 2014. “In 2022, we carried almost 300,000 passengers between the UAE and Kazakhstan, an increased figure of 145 per cent compared to 2019, and we look forward to strengthening trade and cultural relations with the start of flights to Shymkent,” he said.

The UAE and Kazakhstan have a long history of trade relations in which they cooperate together in several economic sectors including mining, agriculture, oil and gas, and construction.

“We are excited to see our network grow in Kazakhstan with Shymkent as our third destination which will serve a total frequency of 22 weekly flights. This frequency will increase to 26 weekly flights from February and will offer our customers in Kazakhstan more convenient and reliable options to explore the UAE and beyond,” Jeyhun Efendi, senior vice-president, commercial operations and E-commerce at flydubai, said.

After Almaty and Astana, Shymkent is the third largest city in Kazakhstan and is a major cultural centre that features bustling bazaars, ancient architecture and natural scenery.

Flydubai expands its network in the Central Asian region to 10 points, providing passengers from the UAE and the region with more options for travel. This includes Almaty, Ashgabat, Astana, Bishkek, Dushanbe, Namangan, Osh, Samarkand, Shymkent and Tashkent.

Flights between Terminal 2, Dubai International (DXB) and Shymkent International Airport (CIT) will operate twice a week. Emirates will codeshare on this route offering passengers more options to travel through Dubai’s international aviation hub.