Kazakhstan and China have established a "free sky" regime, allowing increases in air traffic between the two countries. Following negotiations at the “China + Central Asia” conference, Kazakh air carriers have gained the right to operate flights to China using the fifth degree of “freedom of air,” according to the Kazakh Ministry of Transport.
Kazakh air cargo transportation can now increase without restrictions, while passenger flights are allowed up to 124 per week. Kazakh airlines have received rights to operate an unlimited number of flights to Hainan Island's cities—Sanya, Haikou, and Qionghai—using the fifth, sixth, and seventh freedoms of the air.
The Ministry also highlighted that this "open skies" agreement permits air carriers from both countries to operate up to 42 flights per week using the fifth degree of freedom of air. The fifth freedom allows airlines to fly between two foreign countries as long as the flight begins or ends in the airline's home country.
This development positions Kazakhstan as a leader in air transport within Eurasia and could make it a primary air transport hub with China, Kazakh expers suggests. In contrast, Russian efforts to secure the same air traffic freedoms with China have yet to succeed.
The rules known as freedoms of the air, established by the Chicago Convention of 1944, define the rights of airlines to enter and operate within the airspace of other countries. The Fifth Freedom allows airlines to fly between two foreign countries if the flight either starts or ends in the airline's home country. For instance, a Kazakh airline could fly from Almaty to Xi'an and then proceed to Guangzhou.
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