Kazakh low-cost airline, FlyArystan, is expanding its international reach further by announcing flights to India’s capital New Delhi. The carrier wants to lure many passengers from Kazakhstan traveling to India as tourists, students, or for medical treatment. It is also steadily expanding its fleet size to fuel business growth in the coming months.
New service
FlyArystan has started accepting bookings for its upcoming service between Shymkent and New Delhi. Flights between the two cities will operate twice a week on Monday and Thursday, and a one-way ticket could be had for a minimum of around $54.
The airline is hopeful that this service out of Shymkent will also attract passengers from Almaty, Astana, Atyrau, Kostanay, Semey, and Aktobe. There is a steady flow of passengers from Kazakhstan to India who visit the country for general-purpose tourism as well as to study at Indian universities and as medical tourists. Madina Buzhinova, Director of Marketing and Sales at FlyArystan, commented,
“New route Shymkent-Delhi-Shymkent is perfect both for tourists who want to learn the culture of India and for students of both countries. It is worth noting high quality medical tourism in Delhi, which is highly demanded among tourists from all over the world. We are pleased to provide an opportunity for safe and affordable travel to Delhi for tourists from Kazakhstan!”
Business growth
Delhi is FlyArystan’s 8th international destination. The airline already has flights to Istanbul and Ankara in Turkey, Kutaisi in Georgia, Baku in Azerbaijan, Samarkand in Uzbekistan, Yerevan in Armenia, and Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan.
The carrier currently has a fleet of 14 Airbus A320 aircraft. By the end of this year, it plans to increase its fleet size to 19 planes as it is slated to receive many new aircraft. In fact, last year, FlyArystan received a new aircraft from the Airbus factory for the first time. Since then, it has welcomed four new latest-generation Airbus A320neos.
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The year 2022 was also a strong one for the airline, in which it flew three million passengers on over 20,000 flights. It flew 6% more passengers last year than it did in 2021 and also has an average load factor of 87%.
Separate airline?
The low-cost carrier is owned by Kazakhstan’s flag airline Air Astana. But recent reports have suggested that Air Astana may spin off FlyArystan into a separate business.
Since its launch in 2018, FlyArystan has played a key role in the air travel revolution in Kazakhstan with its low-cost model. There were troubles following the pandemic, but the airline held its own during the tricky years.
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But it has been reported recently that the budget airline could become a separate entity in the near future. Air Astana, too, has confirmed that it could legally separate the LCC, but something like this could only happen in 2024.
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