RECORD - ALMATY AIRPORT GOT ITS N. 2.000.000 passenger

photo (c) Roma Iljuschenko

According to Almaty Intl. Airport Internet site the year 2006 was very successful.

29 of December it was registered 2.000.000 th passenger! Almaty airport had 23% passengers more then in 2005, its quite a number!

2006 has began with Lithuanian "Aurela" which opened derect weekly flight Vilnius - Almaty.

Afganian "Kam Air" began its weekly service in January between Almaty and Kabul.

In March Georgian National Airlines started its weekly flight Almaty - Tbilisi (2 weekly flights from October)

Lufthansa boosted its its connection with Frankfurt from 5 to 7 a week changing the airplane to Airbus-340.

Almaty - Karaganda domestic dayly flight started in March served by Air Astana

Uzbekistan Airways from 5 times a week made dayly Almaty - Tashkent

From October 2006 Air Astana makes 15 flights a week instead of 11 before to Moscow.

Russian S7 Airlines opened its new rout 3 times a week from Chelyabinsk.

Air Astana from 3 times a week made Almaty - Dubai route dayly.

Air Astana started also Almaty - Bangkok 3 times a week from October.

The year 2007 should be very interesting for Almaty Airport, first of all because in August 2007 the second runway will be completed and the construction of a new international terminal is goining to be started. Besides of it Air Astana announced its 3rd weekly direct flight to London - Heathrow starting January 2007.

There are many real rumors that PIA - Pakistan Intl. Airlines and Austrian Airlines will resume service to Almaty from Karachi and Vienna, suspended due to hard economic situation in Kazakhstan in late '90's.

Air Astana plans to start summer flights between Almaty and neighbouring Kyrgyz resort Cholpon-Ata. Bisedes of it there were strong rumors about opening Almaty - Astana - Milan flight, it didn't happened in 2006, may be this year..?

Hong Kong and Kazakhstan probably will be connected by air this year, the president Nazarbayev signed the papers two weeks ago during his visit to China.

Saudi Arabian Airlines's and Iranian Kish Air are planning to start flights to Kazakhstan also.

The year 2007 I hope will become the year of development for Almaty Iintl. Airport and turning it to some kind of international air hub.. we will see..