BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 23. Airlines from Kazakhstan and Switzerland will be allowed to operate up to 28 passenger flights per week between the two countries under a memorandum signed by their aviation authorities, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport said.
The memorandum was signed following talks in Astana between Kazakhstan’s Civil Aviation Committee and Swiss aviation authorities.
The Kazakh delegation was headed by the Chaor of the Civil Aviation Committee Saltanat Tompieva, while the Swiss side was represented by Laurent Noel, Head of Negotiations at the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA). Representatives of Air Astana, SCAT, SWISS International Air Lines, Basel Airport, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Switzerland also took part in the talks.
The memorandum provides designated airlines with the right to operate up to 28 passenger flights per week. It also establishes a legal framework for cargo flights without restrictions on frequencies or capacity.
"Direct air connectivity between Kazakhstan and Switzerland will create additional opportunities to strengthen tourism, trade, economic and business ties between the two countries and increase mutual passenger and business flows," the ministry said.
The parties also agreed on and initialed a draft air services agreement, which is expected to be signed at a later stage. The agreement will update the legal framework governing air services between Kazakhstan and Switzerland.
The Swiss side said it sees prospects for developing direct air links between the two countries and is currently considering the possibility of launching scheduled flights to Kazakhstan.
