Air Astana furthers Chinese push with China Southern joint venture
The strategic partnership will increase connectivity between the two countries and beyond.
Air Astana has sealed a joint venture agreement with China Southern Airlines as the Kazakh national carrier continues to develop its presence in the Chinese market.
The partners say the venture will build upon their established codeshare partnership from July 2025 in an effort to deliver greater convenience and choice for passengers. This includes coordinating flight schedules, expanding codeshare services and undertaking joint marketing efforts.
The move comes as Air Astana looks to build up its presence in China, following the expansion of its services from Kazakhstan to China during 2026. That includes the launch of flights in June from Astana to China Southern’s hub in Guangzhou, adding to its Almaty service to the city it launched in 2025.
“The number of flights between our countries has increased by 52 per cent compared with the same period in 2025,” says Kazakhstan’s deputy transport minister Talgat Lastaev, noting that it covers 117 flights across 21 routes.
“Since the start of 2026, more than one million passengers have been carried. The ministry plans to further expand the route network with China, increasing it to 30 destinations.”
Amid continued pressure from high fuel prices, China Southern’s executive vice president Zeng Yongchao says the venture “is a strategic choice that leverages our respective strengths and shares resources”.
Air Astana offers up to 36 weekly regular flights during the peak season from Astana and Almaty to four destinations within China, while China Southern operates up to nine weekly return flights to Kazakhstan.
It comes as China Southern reported operating losses in the third quarter citing the impact of high fuels costs, its second consecutive quarter in the red this year.
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