Air India and Air Astana sign codeshare to boost travel between India and Kazakhstan

Air India has entered into a codeshare partnership with Air Astana, the national carrier of Kazakhstan, to provide passengers with more travel choices and seamless connectivity between the two countries.

Under the agreement, Air India will place its “AI” code on Air Astana-operated flights between Almaty -Delhi and Almaty - Mumbai. This will allow Air India customers to book tickets directly to Kazakhstan and enjoy through check-in for themselves and their baggage, even if starting their journey from other cities in India or abroad.

Almaty, Kazakhstan’s commercial and cultural hub, has been emerging as a popular destination for both tourism and business. The new codeshare flights will make it easier for Indian travellers to access the Central Asian nation, while also enabling Kazakh passengers to connect with Air India’s large domestic and international network.

Air India CEO &MD Campbell Wilson said the partnership strengthens links with a growing market. “Beyond serving leisure travel demand, our partnership will also support trade and cultural exchanges between our two countries, while bringing a new destination in Central Asia closer to our customers,” he noted.

Air Astana Group CEO Peter Foster added that India is of “key strategic importance” to the Kazakh airline. He highlighted that the codeshare will accelerate strong flows of business, tourist, and student traffic between the two countries.

The agreement builds on an earlier interline partnership signed in 2025, which already allowed passengers to connect via Almaty to cities across Central Asia and China, including Astana, Bishkek, Tashkent, Dushanbe, and Urumqi. In return, Air Astana gained access to 18 Indian domestic destinations and 9 international routes through Air India’s network.

While Kazakhstan is not yet a mass-market destination for Indians, it has seen steady growth in visitor arrivals in recent years. According to Kazakhstan’s National Bureau of Statistics, about 25,000 Indian tourists visited Kazakhstan in 2023, up from 15,000 in 2019 (pre-pandemic).

Indian students in Kazakhstan, mainly in medical universities, form a strong base of regular travellers, with estimates ranging between 10,000- 12,000 students.

On the other side, around 5,000–7,000 Kazakh tourists visit India annually, drawn to destinations such as Goa, Delhi, and Kerala for leisure and medical tourism.

Air connectivity between the two countries has been limited, with only around 150,000–180,000 passengers annually travelling directly or via third-country hubs (data compiled from Kazakhstan’s Civil Aviation Committee reports and travel industry sources).

For the average passenger, this new codeshare means one ticket, one check-in. Travellers starting from smaller Indian cities can now check in luggage through to Almaty via Delhi or Mumbai without hassle.

Direct Air Astana connections under Air India’s code reduce the need for transits through third countries such as Dubai, Doha, or Istanbul. With this deal, Kazakh travellers get easier access to India’s domestic network, while Indians can explore Central Asia beyond Almaty.

Codeshare arrangements often lead to competitive pricing and smoother rebooking options in case of delays or disruptions.

With Kazakhstan pushing to become a regional tourism hub and India’s outbound travel market booming, this partnership is expected to significantly increase passenger traffic between the two countries. Subject to regulatory approvals, codeshare flights will be rolled out progressively and made available on Air India’s booking channels in the coming months.