# Central Asia's Aviation Opening: Kazakhstan–China Flight Rights Rise to 180 Weekly

> MKNIRALO — Business — Central Asia · Aviation

- Published: 2026-11-08
- Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
- Byline: Deniz — Banking Regulation Observer
- Byline disclosure: Deniz is a house editorial byline maintained by MKNIRALO, not a claim of an independently verified individual. It does not imply banking or legal qualifications, residence in Türkiye, reporting access or personal interviews.
- Author profile: https://mkniralo.com/authors/deniz/
- Tags: Central Asia, Aviation, Kazakhstan, China, Air Routes, Tourism, Air Cargo
- Cover image: https://mkniralo.com/images/central-asia-aviation-opening-kazakhstan-china-2026.svg

New bilateral flight rights will raise the Kazakhstan–China weekly ceiling to 180 and add Chengdu and Kashgar, as Central Asian carriers, airports and tourism markets seek stronger links with China.

The agreement was reached during the third China–Central Asia C5+1 civil aviation working-group meeting in Tashkent, held from November 3 to 5. It is one of several signs that the region is negotiating more routes and capacity, not a single regional open-skies deal. The distinction matters: authorities set permissions, airlines decide whether to use them, and airports and air-navigation systems must be able to handle the resulting traffic. The question is no longer only whether a route can be authorised, but whether it can be staffed, slotted, connected and sustained.

## A higher ceiling, not 180 flights already in the sky

At bilateral talks on November 4, Kazakhstan and China agreed to increase permitted weekly flight frequencies to 180 from 150, and add Chengdu and Kashgar to the approved Chinese city network, Kazakhstan’s aviation authority said on November 5. The new ceiling is an entitlement for scheduled services, not a statement that 180 flights are already operating. The announcement did not identify launch dates or airlines for either new city, leaving carriers to translate the permission into timetables.

One detail remains unsettled: the November release describes the previous ceiling as 150, while the same authority’s July announcement recorded an increase from 124 to 152. Aviation publication CentralAsia+Aero likewise describes the latest step as 152 to 180, not 150 to 180. The 180 figure and added destinations are consistent across current accounts; the precise immediately preceding ceiling is not. This is a small numerical discrepancy, but worth preserving rather than silently smoothing.

Sources:
- [Kazakhstan and China Agree on Further Expansion of Air Services](https://caa.gov.kz/en/blog/post/kazakhstan-and-china-agree-further-expansion-air-services) — Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan
- [Air Connectivity Between the Republic of Kazakhstan and China Expands](https://caa.gov.kz/en/blog/post/air-connectivity-between-republic-kazakhstan-and-china-expands) — Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan
- [Kazakhstan and China agree to increase flights by another 18% and add new destinations](https://centralasiaplus.aero/2026/11/06/kazakhstan-and-china-agree-to-increase-flights-by-another-18-and-add-new-destinations/) — CentralAsia+Aero

## A regional forum, but still bilateral air rights

The third C5+1 civil aviation working-group meeting was scheduled for November 3–5 at the Hyatt Regency Tashkent, with aviation authorities and airline representatives from Uzbekistan, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Uzbekistan’s government described its purpose as strengthening cooperation, implementing existing agreements and identifying new areas for collaboration. C5+1 provides a regional table for discussion, but it does not itself establish a single regional regulator or common aviation market: the flight permissions announced around the meeting were negotiated country by country.

That pattern was visible in separate Kazakhstan–Uzbekistan talks. Their aviation authorities agreed to permit up to 60 weekly frequencies on each of the Almaty–Tashkent and Astana–Tashkent routes, and to raise the cap on other routes between the countries from 14 to 20 flights per week. These, too, are permitted frequencies rather than guaranteed timetable additions. The Tashkent meeting therefore produced more than a China corridor headline: it also loosened limits on one of the region’s busiest neighbouring-country links.

Sources:
- [3rd meeting of the Central Asia - China (C5+1) Working Group on Civil Aviation Cooperation](https://gov.uz/en/news/view/241451) — Government of Uzbekistan
- [Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Agree to Increase Flight Frequencies Between the Countries](https://caa.gov.kz/en/blog/post/kazakhstan-and-uzbekistan-agree-increase-flight-frequencies-between-countries) — Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan

## Demand is already running ahead of the new limit

Capacity is already growing. On October 30, Kazakhstan’s aviation authority said scheduled services between Kazakhstan and China had reached 117 flights per week across 21 routes, 52% more than in the comparable period of 2025; more than one million passengers had travelled since the start of 2026. This operating schedule is separate from the 180-frequency ceiling. The 117 figure describes weekly scheduled flights already on the network, not newly authorised capacity, and shows that airlines have been expanding service before the latest agreement.

Commercial cooperation is also catching up. Air Astana and China Southern signed the first strategic partnership agreement between airlines from the two countries on October 30, with plans to coordinate schedules, expand codesharing and run joint marketing initiatives. A codeshare does not add a flight by itself, but it can make existing networks easier to combine and improve connections beyond the city pairs served directly. Air Astana’s vice president described Kazakhstan as uniquely positioned as a transit hub connecting Europe and Asia, a role that depends on usable connections as well as route rights.

Sources:
- [Air Astana and China Southern Airlines Sign Strategic Partnership Agreement](https://caa.gov.kz/en/blog/post/air-astana-and-china-southern-airlines-sign-strategic-partnership-agreement) — Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan
- [China–Central Asia Flights Expand as Aviation Booms](https://timesca.com/china-central-asia-flights-expand/) — The Times of Central Asia

## A market of 31.7 million passengers — and growing cargo

The wider market is not small. The Eurasian Development Bank estimates that airlines in the five Central Asian countries carried 31.7 million passengers in 2025, nearly double the pre-pandemic level in 2019. Available aircraft capacity grew by an average 7.7% a year between 2015 and 2025, almost three times the global rate. Kazakhstan remained the region’s largest passenger air-travel market, accounting for 48.7% of the total, ahead of Uzbekistan at 35%. Uzbekistan’s market nevertheless grew fastest, tripling from its 2019 level to 11.1 million passengers. EDB also estimates that the region’s air-transport sector held $1.4 billion in foreign direct investment stock.

The same EDB study says air cargo carried by the region’s airlines exceeded 335,700 tonnes in 2025, more than four times the 2023 volume, and Uzbek airlines accounted for about 67% of the five countries’ air cargo. That 67% is a cargo share, not a passenger-market share. For trade, cargo capacity matters alongside passenger connections: it can support time-sensitive shipments and e-commerce, while new passenger routes can make business travel and transfers less cumbersome. But air rights alone cannot guarantee commercially viable cargo services.

Sources:
- [Central Asia Takes Off: Investments in Civil Aviation Infrastructure (Updated)](https://www.eabr.org/en/analytics/all-publications/central-asia-takes-off-air-transport-infrastructure/) — Eurasian Development Bank

## Tourism numbers show movement, not just air arrivals

Tourism figures show strong cross-border movement, but should not be mistaken for airport counts. Uzbekistan’s National Statistics Committee reported that 10,306,786 foreign citizens visited for tourism purposes in January–September 2026, up 20.4% year on year. The three largest source countries were Kyrgyzstan, with 2,844,201 visitors; Kazakhstan, with 2,404,638; and Tajikistan, with 2,274,288. These neighbouring countries share extensive land borders with Uzbekistan, so the figures demonstrate regional mobility, not that millions of visitors arrived by air.

A separate official series recorded 6.9 million passengers transported by air in Uzbekistan during the same nine months, up 1% from 2025. It measures air transport, not foreign tourist entries, and cannot be compared one-for-one with the 10.3 million tourism figure. The difference underscores why governments and airlines need to distinguish border-crossing tourism, airport throughput and airline passenger totals when estimating demand. A fuller route map may help, but the traffic mix will vary widely between countries and corridors.

Sources:
- [Uzbekistan welcomed 10.3 million tourists in 9 months](https://stat.uz/en/press-center/news-of-committee/70621-9-ojda-zbekistonga-10-3-mln-nafar-turist-tashrif-buyurdi-4) — National Statistics Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan
- [About 7 million passengers were transported by air](https://stat.uz/en/press-center/news-of-committee/70959-avo-transporti-or-ali-arijb-7-mln-j-lovchi-tashildi-4) — National Statistics Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan

## Smaller markets are joining the China network

Smaller markets are also securing direct China links. China Southern says its Guangzhou–Bishkek passenger service began on March 29, 2026, with two weekly flights; the airline described it at launch as the only direct passenger service between southern China and Kyrgyzstan. The carrier had earlier launched its Beijing Daxing–Dushanbe route on June 16, 2025, with two weekly services. For the 2026 summer season, China Southern said it operated four China–Kyrgyzstan routes and 11 weekly round-trip passenger flights between the two countries. These are airline announcements, but they illustrate a broader pattern: direct links can be added in smaller markets without matching Kazakhstan’s scale.

Growth will depend on more than flight rights. The EDB’s October brief identifies 12 major airport-development projects worth $5.1 billion across the region by 2035, at planning or implementation stages, and says regulatory modernization, cargo access, low-cost-carrier market entry, regional alliances and digitalization remain priorities. That is a more demanding agenda than announcing a larger quota. The report stresses that airport investment and regulatory change must advance together, rather than treating more flight rights as a stand-alone solution. The 180-weekly Kazakhstan–China ceiling is a meaningful opening; whether it becomes more seats, reliable connections and trade flows will depend on carriers, slots, airports and air-navigation capacity.

Sources:
- [China Southern Launches Guangzhou–Bishkek Direct Service](https://www.csairgroup.cn/en/mediacenter/news_releases/2026061518041486775/3816ce513b474bdaa7e1c80c128961ad/index.html) — China Southern Air Holding Company
- [China Southern Launches Direct Flight from Beijing Daxing International Airport to Dushanbe](https://www.csairgroup.cn/en/mediacenter/news_releases/2025072217305264962/3816ce513b474bdaa7e1c80c128961ad/index.html) — China Southern Air Holding Company
- [Central Asia Takes Off: Investments in Civil Aviation Infrastructure (Updated)](https://www.eabr.org/en/analytics/all-publications/central-asia-takes-off-air-transport-infrastructure/) — Eurasian Development Bank
- [Kazakhstan and China Agree on Further Expansion of Air Services](https://caa.gov.kz/en/blog/post/kazakhstan-and-china-agree-further-expansion-air-services) — Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan

## About this article

This article reflects the public sources available on the publication and update dates shown above. For developing stories, follow the linked source pages for subsequent statements or decisions.

## Sources and further reading

- [Kazakhstan and China Agree on Further Expansion of Air Services](https://caa.gov.kz/en/blog/post/kazakhstan-and-china-agree-further-expansion-air-services) — Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan (published 2026-11-05) (accessed 2026-11-08)
- [3rd meeting of the Central Asia - China (C5+1) Working Group on Civil Aviation Cooperation](https://gov.uz/en/news/view/241451) — Government of Uzbekistan (published 2026-11-03) (accessed 2026-11-08)
- [Air Connectivity Between the Republic of Kazakhstan and China Expands](https://caa.gov.kz/en/blog/post/air-connectivity-between-republic-kazakhstan-and-china-expands) — Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan (published 2026-07-15) (accessed 2026-11-08)
- [Air Astana and China Southern Airlines Sign Strategic Partnership Agreement](https://caa.gov.kz/en/blog/post/air-astana-and-china-southern-airlines-sign-strategic-partnership-agreement) — Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan (published 2026-10-30) (accessed 2026-11-08)
- [Central Asia Takes Off: Investments in Civil Aviation Infrastructure (Updated)](https://www.eabr.org/en/analytics/all-publications/central-asia-takes-off-air-transport-infrastructure/) — Eurasian Development Bank (published 2026-10-13) (accessed 2026-11-08)
- [Uzbekistan welcomed 10.3 million tourists in 9 months](https://stat.uz/en/press-center/news-of-committee/70621-9-ojda-zbekistonga-10-3-mln-nafar-turist-tashrif-buyurdi-4) — National Statistics Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan (published 2026-10-16) (accessed 2026-11-08)
- [About 7 million passengers were transported by air](https://stat.uz/en/press-center/news-of-committee/70959-avo-transporti-or-ali-arijb-7-mln-j-lovchi-tashildi-4) — National Statistics Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan (published 2026-11-05) (accessed 2026-11-08)
- [Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Agree to Increase Flight Frequencies Between the Countries](https://caa.gov.kz/en/blog/post/kazakhstan-and-uzbekistan-agree-increase-flight-frequencies-between-countries) — Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan (published 2026-11-05) (accessed 2026-11-08)
- [China Southern Launches Guangzhou–Bishkek Direct Service](https://www.csairgroup.cn/en/mediacenter/news_releases/2026061518041486775/3816ce513b474bdaa7e1c80c128961ad/index.html) — China Southern Air Holding Company (published 2026-06-15) (accessed 2026-11-08)
- [China Southern Launches Direct Flight from Beijing Daxing International Airport to Dushanbe](https://www.csairgroup.cn/en/mediacenter/news_releases/2025072217305264962/3816ce513b474bdaa7e1c80c128961ad/index.html) — China Southern Air Holding Company (published 2025-07-22) (accessed 2026-11-08)
- [China–Central Asia Flights Expand as Aviation Booms](https://timesca.com/china-central-asia-flights-expand/) — The Times of Central Asia (published 2026-11-04) (accessed 2026-11-08)
- [Kazakhstan and China agree to increase flights by another 18% and add new destinations](https://centralasiaplus.aero/2026/11/06/kazakhstan-and-china-agree-to-increase-flights-by-another-18-and-add-new-destinations/) — CentralAsia+Aero (published 2026-11-06) (accessed 2026-11-08)