The Ministry of Transport, in collaboration with the Agency for Protection and Development of Competition, has enhanced the Open Skies regime to bolster the appeal of Kazakhstan's air transportation market, QazMonitor reports citing the press service of the Ministry.
The order from the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan introducing the Open Skies regime was amended to remove the earlier restriction, granting foreign carriers the right to exercise the Fifth Freedom of the Air only on routes where Kazakh carriers do not operate.
As a result, foreign airlines now have the freedom to fly to multiple airports in Kazakhstan without restrictions on flight frequency, aircraft types, or routes.
This strategic move, aimed at fostering competition in the industry, is expected to lead to a reduction in the cost of air tickets, improved service quality, and an expanded geography of flights.
In Kazakhstan, the Open Skies regime is in operation at the airports of Astana, Almaty, Aktau, Aktobe, Karagandy, Kokshetau, Pavlodar, Petropavl, Semey, Taraz, Turkistan, Oskemen, and Shymkent.
Fifth Freedom of the Air refers to the right or privilege granted by one state to another in respect of scheduled international air services. This allows the carrier to put down and take on traffic in the territory of the granting state that is coming from or destined to a third state. It is also known as a Fifth Freedom Right.