Cathay Pacific plans to launch direct flights between Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and Almaty International Airport (ALA) in Kazakhstan starting in the first quarter of 2027. The service will operate three times a week using an Airbus A330-300 widebody aircraft and will be the only direct link between Hong Kong and Kazakhstan.
The announcement was made on June 2, 2026, during a high-level delegation visit to Kazakhstan led by Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu. Cathay Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau attended a ceremony alongside Almaty International Airport president Goker Kose and deputy head of the Tourism Department of Almaty Akmaral Yeshanova.
Kazakhstan: HK’s largest trading partner in Central Asia
Kazakhstan is Central Asia’s most developed economy, with key industries spanning manufacturing, mining, and industrial production. It is also Hong Kong’s largest trading partner and leading export market in the region.
Demand between the Chinese Mainland and Central Asia has been growing steadily in recent years, driven by trade, investment, and activity linked to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
The country has a growing tourism sector as well, offering summer and winter outdoor activities, and is set to host the Asian Winter Games in 2029.
New route builds on Cathay’s westward push from Hong Kong
Lau said the new route builds on the airline’s launch of direct flights to Urumqi Diwopu International Airport (URC) in northwestern China last year, a city whose proximity to Central Asia extended Cathay’s reach along the Belt and Road corridor.
“Central Asia is a strategically important Belt and Road region that offers ample business opportunities,” Lau said. “As we celebrate ’80 Years Together’ with our home city, we are excited to build on that momentum by announcing plans to operate direct flights between Hong Kong and Almaty, our first ever destination in Central Asia, fostering new opportunities for people, cargo and capital flow with this dynamic region.”
