Air Astana announced it will resume scheduled flights to Dubai from both of its Kazakh hubs starting in early October 2026, ending a suspension that has been in place since July and has been extended multiple times as tensions in the Middle East escalated throughout the year.
Flights from Almaty will restart on October 1, 2026, while services from Astana will follow on October 2, 2026.
The airline will build capacity back up gradually throughout October 2026 rather than returning to full frequency immediately.
On the Almaty-Dubai route, service will begin at four flights per week and increase to 12 weekly flights by the end of October. On the Astana-Dubai route, the airline will start with three weekly flights before scaling up to 10 per week by month’s end.
Air Astana said it will continue closely monitoring developments in the region, and that the schedule may be adjusted depending on how the situation in the Middle East evolves. Passengers will be informed of any further changes.
A route that has had a turbulent 2026
The resumption marks the latest update in a route that has stopped and started multiple times this year.
Air Astana first suspended UAE flights due to airspace restrictions before restoring nonstop Astana-Dubai service on July 4, 2026, and expanding to daily flights by early August.
That restart proved short-lived. On July 12, 2026, rising military tensions in the region forced the airline to suspend the route again, with flight KC205 from Astana to Dubai turning back mid-journey and flight KC897 from Almaty cancelled before departure.
The suspension was subsequently extended several times, first to July 21, 2026, and then through August 31, 2026, as the airline cited deteriorating conditions in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Gulf region.
A further extension pushed the suspension to September 30, 2026, with the airline citing continued regional instability. Air Astana said at the time that it had adjusted its October schedule accordingly, reducing planned frequency once services did resume.