At Astana Airport in the early morning, a long queue of Chinese speaking passengers formed in front of the boarding gate for the first time. Some people were dragging suitcases filled with gifts, while others were holding brand new boarding passes. They came from the Ili River Valley to meet the capital of Kazakhstan. In three hours, this flight will carry business opportunities, longing, and expectations, blowing the winds of Central Asia into Yili.

Direct access to the capital city

On October 26, 2026, Ili Yining International Airport officially opened the Yining Astana international route, with three flights per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. The flight FS7989 departed from Astana International Airport at 7:55 local time and arrived at Ili Yining International Airport at 13:20 Beijing time; The return flight FS7990 departed from Ili Yining International Airport at 15:20 Beijing time and arrived at Astana International Airport at 14:50 local time. This is the second Central Asian international passenger route opened by the airport after the Yining Almaty route, and it is also an air passage from Ili to the capital of Kazakhstan.

One shift per day

After the opening of the new route, it will form a north-south complementary and two-way linkage aviation layout with the Yining Almaty route. International flights from Yining to Kazakhstan will operate normally once a day, and passengers' cross-border travel choices will be more diverse and flexible. Ili is connected to Kazakhstan by mountains and rivers, and geographically adjacent. It is the forefront of Xinjiang's westward opening up, with frequent cross-border trade, cultural and tourism interactions, and family visits. As the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana is an important political, economic, and transportation hub in Central Asia, with outstanding location advantages and strong radiation capabilities. It is a key node city for connecting with the Central Asian market and deepening regional cooperation. Keywords: Yining direct flight to Astana, daily service between China and Kazakhstan

Relying on this new air channel, more Central Asian merchants and tourists will enter Yili, effectively driving the all-round development of cross-border trade, cultural tourism integration, and industrial synergy. In the future, Yili Yining International Airport will continuously optimize its route layout, improve port service efficiency, continue to expand its westward opening air passage, assist in the construction of the core area of the Xinjiang Silk Road Economic Belt, and promote the economic, trade, and cultural exchanges between China and Kazakhstan to a new level.Editor/Min Jing