Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia have reached an agreement to initiate direct flights on the Almaty–Riyadh route, QazMonitor reports citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the visit of Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu to Saudi Arabia, both parties agreed to commence flights operated by FlyNas airline in the upcoming spring-summer season of 2024, with a frequency of seven flights per week.
Previously, it was announced that the Ministry of Transport, in collaboration with the Agency for Protection and Development of Competition, has revised the national Open Sky policy to enhance the appeal of Kazakhstan's air transportation market.
The restriction on foreign airlines, limiting their right to utilize the Fifth Freedom of The Air only in directions where Kazakhstan's carriers do not operate, has been lifted. Consequently, foreign airlines now have the freedom to operate flights to airports in Kazakhstan without restrictions on frequencies and aircraft types, including flight routes utilizing the Fifth Freedom of the Air.