Larnaka Airport welcomed the inaugural Air Astana flight from Kazakhstan, marking the start of direct, bi-weekly connections to both Astana and Almaty. The landmark route also carried Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides for his first official state visit.

Hermes Airports announced on Wednesday the launch of a new direct air connection between Cyprus and Kazakhstan, following the arrival of Air Astana’s inaugural flight from Astana to Larnaka Airport on Tuesday.

According to Hermes Airports, the new route will operate twice weekly, every Tuesday and Saturday. In addition, from 4 June, the airline will launch direct flights between Almaty and Larnaka, operating every Thursday and Sunday.

The flights will be operated using Airbus A321LR aircraft and are scheduled to continue at least until September. Flight time from Astana to Larnaka is approximately 5 hours and 40 minutes, while flights from Almaty take around 6 hours and 5 minutes.

It is noted that the first flight departing from Larnaka to Kazakhstan carried, among others, President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides and members of the Council of Ministers, as part of the first official visit by a President of the Republic of Cyprus to Kazakhstan.

Commenting on the new route between Cyprus and Kazakhstan, Maria Kouroupi, Director of Aviation Development, Marketing and Communication at Hermes Airports, described the launch of the flights as “a highly positive development for Cyprus’ connectivity”, noting that the direct links with two major cities in Kazakhstan create new opportunities for both tourism and bilateral relations between the two countries.

Source: CNA(ΚΥΠΕ)