Air Astana to launch direct Almaty–Tokyo flights on November 30

Kazakhstan will gain its first direct air link with Japan, with Air Astana flying to Narita Airport twice a week on an Airbus A321LR.

Flight KC171 will depart Almaty on Mondays and Thursdays at 9:55 p.m. and arrive in Tokyo at 9:25 a.m. the following day. Return flight KC172 will operate on Tuesdays and Fridays, departing at 10:55 a.m. and arriving at 4:20 p.m. The journey will take around 7.5 hours outbound and 9 hours 25 minutes on the return. The schedule is awaiting approval from government authorities. The flights will operate under a codeshare with Japan Airlines. According to Kazinform, round-trip fares including all fees start at ₸350,552 in economy class and ₸1,398,918 in business class.

What this means for travel managers. The overnight departure allows travelers to arrive in the morning and head straight to meetings, while the direct flight removes both the connection and the risk of missing it. However, service is limited to two days a week, so seats for business dates should be booked early. Remember the visa as well: Kazakhstan citizens still need a visa to enter Japan, and processing time must be built into the trip schedule.

Planning a trip to Japan? Tell us in the comments how you currently get there.