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Thinking of adding Kazakhstan to your travel list? Getting there is about to become a little more convenient. From October 20, Kazakh airline SCAT Airlines will launch flights from Shymkent to Singapore, routing passengers through Sanya in China.
The journey from Singapore to Shymkent takes around 11.5 hours, with a three-hour flight to Sanya, a two-hour transit, and a 6.5-hour onward flight to Kazakhstan. And while Sanya might sound like an invitation to sneak in a detour, this isn’t quite the time for it: passengers will remain in the airport’s transit zone and continue onwards without going through Chinese passport control.
The new service is part of Kazakhstan’s broader push to strengthen connections with China and other parts of Asia. SCAT Airlines is part of the broader Air Astana Group, which has been aggressively expanding its Asian connections. The group has increased its capacity to China by 81 per cent for the 2026 summer season, bringing its schedule to 49 flights a week across seven destinations. The airline group has also added new routes from Almaty to Shanghai and Xi’an, Astana to Guangzhou, and Aktau to Urumqi.
More routes are on the way, too. FlyArystan is set to begin operating twice-weekly flights between Almaty and Chongqing from September 23, while the wider Air Astana Group network has also seen increased services to Central Asia, the Caucasus, Europe, Türkiye and Asia during the summer season.
If you’re travelling to China as part of the journey, however, don’t cut it fine at the airport. FlyArystan is advising passengers travelling to or from China to arrive at least three hours before departure, following updated entry and exit procedures coming into effect on September 15. Immigration checks may take longer, so travellers should also make sure their passports are valid and check the latest entry requirements before flying.
Book your tickets at scat.kz when the route goes live.
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