AJet Almaty and Astana Direct Flights | Corporate Travel

11.09.2026 - 10:00:35

AJet Istanbul–Almaty and Astana Direct Flights: A New Alternative for Corporate Travel

Last updated: September 11, 2026

AJet is launching direct flights to Almaty and Astana, two major hubs in Kazakhstan, from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport. Istanbul–Almaty direct flights will start on January 5, 2027, while Istanbul–Astana direct flights will start on January 7, 2027.

The new routes mean shorter travel times, lower connection risks, and easier corporate travel planning for companies that regularly conduct business travel between Türkiye and Kazakhstan.

Viking Turizm manages airline tickets, hotels, transfers, visa support, corporate travel management, and MICE services for travel to Kazakhstan from a single point.

When Will AJet Istanbul–Almaty and Istanbul–Astana Direct Flights Start?

According to the schedule announced by AJet, the new direct flights from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport to Kazakhstan are planned as follows:

Route	Start Date	Flight Days	Frequency
Istanbul (SAW) → Almaty (ALA)	January 5, 2027	Tuesday and Sunday	2 per week
Istanbul (SAW) → Astana (NQZ)	January 7, 2027	Monday and Thursday	2 per week

AJet will also continue its existing direct flights from Ankara Esenboğa Airport to Almaty and Astana.

Therefore, both Istanbul- and Ankara-based alternatives can be considered for companies traveling to Kazakhstan.

Note: Airlines may change flight days and schedules. The current flight schedule should be checked before making reservations for corporate travel planning.

Why Is Kazakhstan Important for Corporate Travel?

Kazakhstan is one of Central Asia’s major trade, energy, finance, industry, and investment hubs. The development of economic relations between Türkiye and Kazakhstan is also increasing travel between the two countries for sales teams, technical teams, executives, and project teams.

Two cities particularly stand out from a corporate travel perspective.

Almaty is Kazakhstan’s largest city and an important center for trade, finance, and the private sector. It is one of the destinations frequently used for company meetings, customer visits, trade fairs, and business negotiations.

Astana is the capital of Kazakhstan. It is an important center for government institutions, major companies, official meetings, and international organizations.

For companies that travel regularly to Almaty and Astana, defining these destinations separately in travel policies and determining flight, hotel, and transfer standards in advance can improve operational efficiency.

Can Turkish Citizens Travel to Kazakhstan Without a Visa?

Yes. Citizens of the Republic of Türkiye can travel to Kazakhstan without a visa for a total of up to 90 days within any 180-day period.

The passport must have at least 6 months of validity when entering Kazakhstan.

However, different permit and visa procedures may apply depending on long-term work, residence, or the nature of the trip. Therefore, it is particularly important to check the current entry requirements before travel for long-term employee assignments.

For corporate travel, checking visa and entry requirements on an employee-by-employee basis can help prevent last-minute problems and operational losses.

For Detailed Visa Information: https://www.vikingturizm.com.tr/vize-bilgileri/kazakistan

How Should a Business Trip from Istanbul to Almaty Be Planned?

The launch of the Istanbul–Almaty direct flight creates a new alternative, particularly for Istanbul-based companies.

However, for corporate travel, looking only at the flight price is not enough. Flight times, suitability for the meeting schedule, change and refund conditions, company travel policy, hotel location, airport transfer, and the employee’s total travel time should all be evaluated together.

For example, a lower-priced flight with a long connection may become more expensive for the company when employee time and additional accommodation costs are taken into account.

Therefore, at Viking Turizm, corporate travel can be evaluated not only based on ticket price, but also on total travel cost and operational efficiency.

How Should a Business Trip from Istanbul to Astana Be Planned?

For corporate travel to Astana, the meeting location, airport transfer time, weather conditions, and travel dates are particularly important.

As the capital, Astana is a frequently preferred destination for meetings with government institutions, major companies, and international organizations.

The direct Istanbul–Astana flight may help make schedules more predictable compared with connecting journeys.

For companies that travel regularly, Astana flights, preferred hotels, and transfer options can be defined in the company’s travel policy to standardize the reservation process.

What Should Companies Consider in Corporate Travel?

For companies that regularly send employees to Kazakhstan, the main issue is not simply finding a suitable airline ticket. It is important to be able to manage flights, hotels, transfers, and other travel services through a single system.

In particular, travel policy compliance, approval processes, cost control, traveler tracking, duty of care, change and cancellation management, centralized billing, and reporting are important components of a corporate travel program.

Prices and capacity on newly launched direct routes may change over time. Therefore, it is healthier for companies to compare different flight alternatives rather than relying on a single airline and to track total travel costs.

Manage Your Kazakhstan Travel from a Single Point with Viking Turizm

Viking Turizm is one of the travel management companies that has been managing companies’ domestic and international business travel and corporate travel programs since 1984.

For companies traveling to Kazakhstan, flights, hotels, transfers, visa coordination, meeting, and event services can be managed from a single point.

Through Viking Turizm’s VikingOn corporate travel platform , companies can define their travel policies in the system, centralize reservation and approval processes, and report travel expenses.

While technology speeds up operations, experienced travel consultants support the process in the event of flight changes, cancellations, or urgent needs that may arise during travel.

Our Recommendation for Companies Traveling Regularly to Kazakhstan

If a company has regular travel traffic to Almaty or Astana, it may be more efficient to create a destination-based corporate travel model rather than treating each reservation as a separate transaction.

Past travel data can be used to analyze the most frequently preferred flights, average ticket costs, hotels, change rates, and employee travel behavior.

This makes it possible to determine preferred airlines and hotels for the company, establish a travel policy, and forecast the annual travel budget more accurately.

Viking Turizm approaches this process not simply as airline ticket reservation, but as the management of the company’s total travel cost.

Plan Your Business and Corporate Travel with Viking Turizm

AJet’s upcoming direct flights from Istanbul to Almaty and Astana create a new alternative for business travel between Türkiye and Kazakhstan.

However, effective corporate travel management requires managing hotels, transfers, travel policies, approval processes, reporting, and potential changes during travel together with finding the most suitable flight.

You can contact Viking Turizm to manage your company’s Almaty, Astana, or other international business travel from a single point and improve your corporate travel program.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there direct flights from Istanbul to Almaty?

AJet plans to start direct flights between Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport and Almaty on January 5, 2027. The flights are planned to operate twice a week, on Tuesdays and Sundays.

Do Turkish citizens need a visa for Kazakhstan?

No. Citizens of the Republic of Türkiye can stay in Kazakhstan without a visa for up to 90 days in total within any 180-day period. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months upon entry to Kazakhstan.

Why should a travel management company be used for business travel?

A travel management company does more than simply make reservations; it implements the company’s travel policy, tracks costs, provides reporting, and offers operational support in situations such as flight changes or cancellations.

How can companies that travel regularly for business control their costs?

Analyzing past travel data, identifying preferred flights and hotels, making early reservations, and establishing travel policies and approval mechanisms make cost control easier. Measuring total travel costs instead of only ticket prices provides more accurate results.