News roundup on the situation with flights to the Middle East
- Flight operations update related to the situation in the Middle East – Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan
- Situation with flights to the Middle East – Air Astana and FlyArystan
- Air Astana suspends flights to the Middle East – Air Astana and FlyArystan
Flight operations update related to the situation in the Middle East
Due to the current situation in the Middle East and the high level of threat to civil aviation safety, the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan has imposed a full ban on flights over, within, and in the vicinity of the airspace of Iran, Israel, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon until further notice.
This directive applies to all scheduled and non-scheduled passenger, cargo, and technical flights operated by Kazakh air carriers.
As a result, the following changes were made to the flight schedules of Air Astana and FlyArystan on 28 February:
Flights KC263 Almaty–Medina, KC897 Almaty–Dubai, KC653 Almaty–Doha, and KC205 and KC207 Astana–Dubai returned to their departure airports;
Flight KC899 Almaty–Dubai was diverted to Delhi;
FlyArystan flight FS7617 Aktau–Dubai diverted to an alternate airport;
All other flights to the Middle East scheduled for 28 February were cancelled.
The flight schedule of SCAT Airlines for 28 February and 1 March does not include any flights to Middle Eastern destinations.
According to information received from representatives of foreign airlines (Qatar Airways, Air Arabia, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, Flydubai, Jazeera Airways, Air Cairo, Red Sea Airlines), action plans are currently being developed in coordination with airline head offices and tour operators.
Situation with flights to the Middle East
Air Astana reports that on 28 February, due to the closure of Iranian airspace and the unstable situation in the region, the following changes occurred:
Flights KC263 Almaty–Medina, KC897 Almaty–Dubai, KC653 Almaty–Doha, and KC205 and KC207 Astana–Dubai returned to their departure airports;
Flight KC899 Almaty–Dubai was diverted to Delhi;
FlyArystan flight FS7617 Aktau–Dubai diverted to an alternate airport;
All other flights to the Middle East scheduled for 28 February were cancelled.
The Air Astana Group is closely monitoring the situation and addressing passenger repatriation matters.
Passengers are advised to regularly check their flight status, as changes to departure and arrival times are expected. Free rebooking and ticket refunds for flights to Jeddah, Medina, and Dubai are permitted at the place of purchase until and including 6 March.
Air Astana suspends flights to the Middle East
The Air Astana Group is cancelling all flights to Middle Eastern countries through 3 March inclusive. The decision was made in accordance with the directive of the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan imposing a full ban on flights to the Middle East.
The airline continues to closely monitor developments and will keep passengers informed of any changes.
