Kazakhstan sees a record high in air traffic
In the space of eleven months, the country's airlines have carried 7.9 million people, with their yearly revenue going up by 16%, Finprom.kz informs.
In January-November of the current year, 7.9 million people have been transported by air in Kazakhstan, up by 7.5% compared to the corresponding period last year (7.3 million people), thus reaching a record high. Whereas in 2018, the airlines transported 7.6 million people, which was 2.6% more than in 2017.
Meanwhile, the Kazakhstan airports, according to the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development, have served 14.8 million passengers over 10 months of this year, expected to reach 16 million passengers by the year’s end. According to the Ministry, in 2018 the domestic airports serviced 15 million passengers, including 9 million passengers through domestic flights, and 6 million people through international flights. Thus, a 6.6% increase in passenger traffic is expected by the end of 2019.
The annual increase in the number of passengers served is about 10%. Taking into account the open skies regime introduced at 11 domestic airports, LOT Polish Airlines (Poland), Air Asia (Malaysia), Belavia (Belarus), Jazeera Airways (Kuwait) and Salam Air (Oman) are expected to open new flights. The opening of new flights are about to continue the steady growth in passenger traffic and maintain positive development dynamics throughout 2020.
Of note starting 1 November 2019, Kazakhstan introduced the open skies regime for three years for foreign air carriers at the airports of Nur-Sultan, Almaty, Shymkent, Aktau, Karaganda, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Pavlodar, Kokshetau, Taraz, Petropavlovsk and Semey, thus removing restrictions in terms of the number of flights and providing foreign airlines with fifth freedom of the air in the areas where Kazakhstan carriers do not operate.
According to the Civil Aviation Committee, the introduction of the open skies regime in Kazakhstan will help attract new foreign carriers, open new international routes, increase competition, and ultimately reduce the costs of air tickets and increase the availability of air transport for the general population, as well as development of tourism and increased transport accessibility of the Astana International Financial Centre.
This year, with an increase in passenger traffic, there has been a significant increase in revenues of air transport enterprises: in January – November, revenues of air carriers have increased by 16.4% and amounted to 369.2 billion tenge. Last year’s revenues were 317.1 billion tenge.
Passenger transportation has accounted for 97.9% of all the revenues, or 361.2 billion tenge, while revenues from goods and baggage’ transportation has been 2.1% or 7.9 billion tenge.
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