New route will link Dubai with heart of Eurasia

Almaty: Air Astana is spreading its wings by providing a convenient connection between Kazakhstan and Dubai.

The growing airline operating from the heart of Eurasia recently increased its frequencies from three flights per week to a daily flight to cope with the increasing passenger demand.

"We are operating at almost full capacity between Almaty and Dubai and are considering adding a couple more flights to this destination," Peter Foster, the airline's President, told Gulf News in Almaty.

"Air Astana is growing fast and we expect to grow 48 per cent next year," he said.

Although most of the senior management of Air Astana including Foster are foreigners based in Almaty, the airline is keen to hire more Kazakh nationals as it has been given the status of Kazakhstan's national airline.

Learning from Emirates

The airline, which began operating in 2002 and replaced Air Kazakhstan, recently increased its fleet to 15 aircraft, including Boeing and Airbus planes, to serve an expanded route network of 25 domestic and 17 international destinations.

"We are learning from Emirates, Singapore and Cathay Pacific airlines and it greatly helped us grow and gain us recognition around the world," Foster said.

"We are very keen to expand our operation to Dubai because it has proved to be a great success. We are working on special tour packages for residents of the UAE to increase the number of tourists to Kazakhstan."

Currently, he said, an increasing number of passengers from Kazakhstan are coming to Dubai, "but we want to attract more passengers from the UAE to visit Kazakhstan, which has a lot to offer to tourists and businessmen."

Dnata, the general sales agency for Air Astana in Dubai, has also boosted its services to keep pace with demand for the new daily Air Astana flights to Almaty, with more staff and facilities at the airline's dedicated reservation counter in the Dnata Travel Centre.

Foster said: "Demand for travel to Kazakhstan from Dubai has increased sharply and we are fortunate in having a GSA of Dnata's stature to help us satisfy that demand."

Foster said the airline would get four new aircraft next month including two wide-bodied jets.

airBaltic launching Riga to Dubai route

Latvian airline airBaltic, a member of the SAS group, is to launch scheduled flights from Riga to Dubai this winter, according to a report.

The first flight will depart on December 26.

"In this way, airBaltic is offering travellers who want to escape the Scandinavian winter the chance to celebrate the New Year and pass their free time in a country with a warm and sunny climate," the report said.

Flights will depart every Saturday throughout the winter until next March 24. They will be operated with a Boeing 737 aircraft and will take 7 hours 10 minutes.

"In the winter, many people choose destinations which allow them to escape from the winter. airBaltic is reacting rapidly to travellers' demand by offering them the chance to enjoy a warm summer in Dubai, rather than a cold winter," airBaltic commercial director Jan Lundborg said.

The scheduled flights from Riga to Dubai mean that travellers can visit the pearl of the United Arab Emirates, which is attracting the world's attention with its giant real-estate projects, its developed and well-organised tourism industry, its wide beaches and its lively and active night life, he added.