Air Astana launches new routes to Salalah, Oman, and Tokyo Narita

Kazakh airline Air Astana is expanding its international network with the launch of nonstop flights to Salalah, Oman (SLL) from, both, Almaty (ALA) and Astana (NQZ). The new services, which will be operated on a weekly basis from Air Astana’s two main bases, will start on October 23 and 24, 2026, respectively.

Salalah, Air Astana’s first destination in Oman, is a popular tourist spot in the Middle East and the gateway to the mountains of southern Oman, which the influence of the summer monsoon makes considerably greener than other parts of the region.

The new route will be operated by Airbus A320 aircraft.

The Kazakh carrier had been expanding its Middle East network significantly in early 2026, increasing the number of frequencies between Almaty and Dubai (DXB) and adding flights between Jeddah (JED) and Madinah (MED) and several cities in Kazakhstan. However, the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, the outbreak of war in the Middle East forced the airline to put the brakes on this expansion. Flights to Dubai were even temporarily suspended and were restarted only in early October 2026.

Almost in parallel with the launch of its new Omani service, Air Astana also announced a new route linking Almaty to Tokyo-Narita (NRT), starting November 30, 2026, subject to government approval. Tokyo will be the carrier’s 22nd new route of 2026.

The Japanese service will be operated twice weekly by Airbus A321LR aircraft, in codeshare with Japan Airlines (JAL). Air Astana’s A321LRs are fitted with 166 seats: 16 full lie-flat business class seats and 150 economy class seats, including 18 designated as “MySeat”, which offer extra space.

In a recent Executive Spotlight interview with AeroTime, to be published soon, Air Astana’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ibrahim Canliel, explained how the Kazakh carrier is betting on international growth, particularly in Asia, for years to come.

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