(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) ASTANA, Kazakhstan, November 7. Kazakhstan's Qazaq Air has launched direct regular flights between Astana and Samarkand, Trend reports.

The opening ceremony took place at Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport with the participation of Yousif Aljawder, Chairman of the Board of Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport, and Adilbek Umraliev, Chairman of the Board of QAZAQ AIR, as well as the first passengers and partners of the airline.

The new route strengthens air connectivity between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and opens new opportunities for business and tourism travel.

“For the first time in our modern history, a direct flight between Astana and Samarkand has been launched. The route last operated during the Soviet era. Now, the Astana–Samarkand direct flight brings the two cities closer together, connecting their history and traditions,” said Adilbek Umraliev, Chairman of the Board of QAZAQ AIR.

Flights are scheduled to operate twice weekly, on Fridays and Sundays.

Qazaq Air, which is transitioning to Vietjet Qazaqstan, is a Kazakh airline conducting scheduled flights from its primary hub in Astana, with a principal focus on domestic routes. The airline was established to improve the safety and accessibility of interregional air traffic within Kazakhstan, as well as in the border regions of neighboring countries.

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