Hong Kong’s push to diversify its aviation network took a tangible step forward on 13 June when Executive Councillor Jeffrey Lam confirmed that direct flights between Hong Kong and Almaty, Kazakhstan will launch in the first quarter of 2027. Speaking after a Commercial Radio interview, Lam said the route agreement was one of the concrete outcomes of Chief Executive John Lee’s 70-strong trade mission to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan earlier this month. The service—expected to be operated twice weekly by either Cathay Pacific or Air Astana—will cut journey times from 11 hours (via transfers in Seoul or Dubai) to under seven, instantly making Hong Kong the easiest Asian gateway for Central Asian executives. Lam argued that the corridor will allow Hong Kong to become a “springboard” for Kazakh and Uzbek firms seeking financing, logistics and professional services, while giving Hong Kong exporters a faster path to a region with a combined population of 75 million. The Trade Development Council already maintains a consultant office in Almaty and is preparing sector-specific roadshows on fintech, green bonds and logistics. Real-estate developers behind the Northern Metropolis and Hung Shui Kiu industrial zones are pitching turnkey warehousing and data-centre plots to Central Asian manufacturers looking for a foothold inside the Greater Bay Area. From a mobility-management perspective, the flight opens a new one-stop routing option for staff moving between Hong Kong headquarters and energy or infrastructure projects in Kazakhstan’s resource belt. It will also qualify travellers for streamlined onward connections to Istanbul and Eastern Europe via existing Air Astana codeshares, potentially trimming two connecting points off typical itineraries. Travel buyers should monitor schedule filings later this summer and budget for modest initial fares—industry sources suggest a launch round-trip price of HK$5,800 in economy and HK$18,000 in business class, competitive against the current HK$23,000 one-stop business fares via the Gulf.
Source: RTHK
