FlyArystan has announced that, starting on April 20th, 2020, it will launch eight routes from its new base in Karaganda. Coinciding with the new routes will be the arrival of the low-cost carrier's sixth aircraft. While no mention has been made as to what type, we can assume it is an Airbus A320-200 to fit in with the rest of the fleet.

The new aircraft when it is delivered in the next few weeks will become the first FlyArystan aircraft to be based at Sary-Arka International Airport (KGF). From its new base in Kazakhstan's fourth most populous city, the airline will offer flights to Atyrau, Aktau, Kostanay, Kyzylorda, Aktobe, Shymkent, Semey, and Moscow. These eight new destinations will join FlyArystan's first regularly scheduled flight between Karaganda and Almaty, which launched in May last year.

Tickets are on sale now

Tickets are available for sale on all of the new domestic routes right now, but passengers wanting to travel to Moscow will have to wait until regulatory approval is received from the Russian authorities. This is expected around mid-March. All of the new flights will be operated according to the following schedule:

Starting April 20th

• Karaganda-Aktau-Karaganda twice per week, with flights on a Monday and Thursday
• Karaganda-Kostanay-Karaganda twice per week, with flights on a Monday and Friday

Starting April 21st

• Karaganda-Shymkent-Karaganda four times per week, with flights on a Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday

 Starting April 22nd

• Karaganda-Atyrau-Karaganda two times per week with flights on a Wednesday and Sunday
• Karaganda-Aktobe-Karaganda two times per week with flights on a Wednesday and Saturday
• Karaganda-Kyzylorda-Karaganda two times per week with flights on a Wednesday and Sunday

Starting April 23rd

• Karaganda-Semey-Karaganda two times per week with flights on a Monday and Thursday

Starting May 16th

• Karaganda-Moscow-Karaganda two times per week with flights on a Tuesday and Saturday

FlyArystan flights to the Russian capital will use Zhukovsky International Airport (ZIA).

Karaganda is a large industrial region

In a press release about the new flights issued by FlyArystan, it quotes Managing Director Tim Jordan as saying:

“The Karaganda region is one of the largest industrial regions of the country, with a modern infrastructure, convenient geographical location and a promising future, the development of which is impossible without air transport. And we, the Air Astana group of companies, in particular, FlyArystan are ready to contribute to that continued growth by establishing our first regional aircraft base at Sary-Arka International Airport, Karaganda.”

Sales and marketing director Janar Jailauova added:

“The opening of a base in Karaganda is an important event not only for residents of the entire region but also for the Kazakhstan aviation industry as a whole since the new FlyArystan base in Karaganda is not only the first regional base of a low-cost airline but also demonstrates the growth that can be achieved by other large regional airports across the country. We are very pleased that now from the very heart of Kazakhstan it is possible to fly directly to eight other domestic cities right across the country, & Moscow (Zhukovsky), with our low fares. That is great for Karaganda, the region and people all across the country.”

FlyArystan will have six aircraft

Based at Almaty International Airport (ALA), FlyArystan started operations on May 1st, 2019 with just two Airbus A320-200 aircraft. In the fourth quarter of 2019, FlyArystan expanded with a further two A320-200s basing them in the nation’s capital Nur-Sultan.

By the end of this month, FlyArystan will add two more aircraft basing one in Almaty and the other at Karaganda. None of us here at Simple Flying have had the opportunity to fly with FlyArystan yet, but we would love to hear what you think about them in the comments section.