Air Astana will launch two new international routes in December 2026, linking Kazakhstan with Malaysia and Thailand, according to details confirmed by the Kazakh Ministry of Transport.
The Almaty to Langkawi service begins on 25 December, operating three times a week with an Airbus A321neo. The Astana to Bangkok route starts earlier, on 11 December, with two weekly flights flown by an Airbus A321LR.
Expanding Kazakhstan’s Southeast Asia network
The expansion is intended to strengthen tourism and business links between Kazakhstan and both Malaysia and Thailand. The Astana to Bangkok flights will lift the total number of weekly flights between Kazakhstan and Thailand to 20, spread across four routes.
Thailand is already a well-established destination for Kazakh travellers. Air Astana operates seven weekly flights between Almaty and Phuket, and six weekly flights between Almaty and Bangkok. Thai AirAsia X adds three weekly Almaty to Bangkok services, while SCAT flies twice a week from Shymkent to Bangkok.
Why it matters
Langkawi is a new destination for Kazakhstan’s flag carrier, giving travellers a direct beach-and-islands option in Malaysia without a connection. The Bangkok launch from the capital also gives Astana-based passengers their own service to Thailand, rather than routing through Almaty.
Source: The Astana Times, citing the Kazakh Ministry of Transport.