Air Arabia set to expand Kazakhstan flights

Low-cost airline Air Arabia announced on Wednesday plans to expand services to Kazakhstan with the launch of twice weekly flights to Astana, the country's capital city.

With the launch of the service on October 31, Air Arabia will fly to a total of 80 destinations worldwide.

Air Arabia currently flies six times per week to Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan.

The new service to Astana will operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays, the carrier said in a statement.

"Kazakstan's emerging economy has seen a lot of positive developments over the past years and we are delighted to complement our existing flight to Almaty by starting new service to the Capital Astana," said Adel Ali, Group CEO, Air Arabia.

"The economic links between Kazakhstan and the Middle East are strong and we are confident with this new launch, will enable more people to fly efficiently and affordably between the UAE and Kazakhstan," he added.

As the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana is both a business and entertainment hub. The city is noted for its modern buildings, many of which have been designed by internationally renowned architects.

Air Arabia reported a 31 percent increase in second quarter net profit to AED66m ($18m) on the back of increased passenger traffic.

Turnover for the three months ending June 30 increased 23 percent to AED729m while passengers rose 15 percent to 1.3m.