This new air route is the culmination of years of efforts to attract one of the world's leading cargo carriers. It is expected to further consolidate Kazakhstan's position as a vital transit hub bridging Asia and Europe.
Sarsenbek Kushkinov, Chief Executive Officer of Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport, hailed the launch as a landmark milestone for the development of Kazakhstan's air cargo industry.
"Today marks a long-anticipated milestone for our airport and the whole of Kazakhstan. After years of dedicated work to bring Cathay Pacific Cargo - one of the globe's largest freight airlines - on board, the airline has launched its first scheduled technical stop in Astana. This constitutes another major leap forward in unlocking our country's transit and logistics potential," he stated.
According to Mr. Kushkinov, the airline will initially run five weekly flights via technical stops, which are poised to lay solid groundwork for full-fledged regular commercial cargo operations going forward.
"Technical stops can gradually evolve into formal commercial freight services, which is commonplace within global aviation. We aim to deepen cooperation with Cathay Pacific Cargo and are fully confident that this route boasts robust growth prospects," he added.
He explained that the route primarily facilitates cargo transportation between Southeast Asia and Europe via Astana. As one of the world's preeminent aviation hubs, Hong Kong serves as Cathay Pacific's home base; the airline transports an extensive range of high-value commodities, including high-tech products, time-sensitive and perishable goods, as well as cross-border e-commerce shipments sourced from online retail platforms.
He also noted that securing partnership with Cathay Pacific Cargo entailed a lengthy preparation process to fully comply with the airline's stringent operational and safety standards.
Vicky Mendelsohn, First Officer of the Cathay Pacific Cargo freighter, said the flight from Hong Kong took roughly six hours, and the aircraft has a payload capacity of 80 to 100 tonnes of cargo per trip.
Cooperation with this world-top freight carrier is projected to upgrade Kazakhstan's aviation infrastructure and expand the country's international logistics network extensively.
Qazinform previously reported that flights between Astana and Shanghai are scheduled to commence this autumn.