Air Astana to begin Almaty-Tokyo Narita flights in November

Air Astana will fly to Japan for the first time, with twice-weekly Airbus A321LR services between Almaty and Tokyo Narita starting 30 November.

The Kazakh carrier had said earlier it planned to open the route in early 2026, after signing a codeshare agreement with Japan Airlines. Those flights will carry Japan Airlines' code, the airline said, extending a partnership already in place between the two carriers.

The 2024 codeshare deal allows Japan Airlines to place its code on Almaty-Tokyo flights, while Air Astana puts its code on the Japanese carrier's domestic services.

Air Astana chief executive Ibrahim Canliel described the route as a priority, saying it supports the airline's aim of strengthening Kazakhstan's position as a hub for Central Asia and the Caucasus.

Efforts to connect the two countries date back to 2019, when the Kazakh government announced plans for direct air links. Air Astana had intended to start flights in late 2019 using Boeing 767s, but the pandemic disrupted those plans.