Airports, planes, ticket prices: is Kyrgyzstan ready for flights to Europe?

Kyrgyzstan is closer than ever to getting off the European Union's aviation blacklist. This event could happen as early as this year and open up new opportunities for the country's aviation sector. However, is Kyrgyzstan's aviation infrastructure ready for new challenges? Will ticket prices come down? Or will flights via Istanbul remain more favourable?

Today, most Kyrgyz travelling to Europe choose destinations in Poland, the UK, Italy, the Czech Republic and Germany. According to official data, more than 10,000 Kyrgyz labour migrants live in Germany alone. Unofficial sources claim that this figure is much higher. In addition, about 6,000 Kyrgyz are on the consular register of European countries, and another 2.5 thousand people are studying in European universities.

So far, all of them have had to travel to Europe via Istanbul, which creates additional inconvenience and increases travelling time and flight costs.

Daniyar Bostonov: ‘Kyrgyzstan is at the final stage of leaving the blacklist’

Civil Aviation Director Daniyar Bostonov said the process of Kyrgyzstan's withdrawal from the EU blacklist is nearing completion.

‘Now we are at the final stage. When we get off the blacklist, it will mean that all our aircraft meet European standards,’ he said.

However, even after the flight ban is lifted, another problem will remain for countries and airlines - the lack of long-haul aircraft. According to Bostonov, Kyrgyzstan's fleet currently does not have aircraft capable of performing commercially viable flights to Europe, as the available aircraft are designed for domestic routes and neighbouring countries.

At a meeting between Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov and the head of Airbus at the end of November last year, the issue of acquiring new aircraft that would be able to perform long-haul flights was discussed. Another important question is what the cost of tickets will be. Today, flights via Istanbul remain the most popular route, as Turkish Airlines offers convenient connections.

According to Daniyar Bostonov, the cost will be formed from various factors, including the price of fuel, service, competition in the market, but direct flights to Europe may well become in demand, even if their cost turns out to be higher.

‘Even if the ticket is slightly more expensive than with a connecting flight, people may still opt for a direct flight so as not to waste time and effort on additional inspections,’ he said.

At the same time, competition between airlines can play into the hands of passengers: major carriers, sometimes provide discounts, which makes connecting flights more attractive. 

‘However, international practice shows that in the long term, direct flights are often cheaper than connecting flights,’ explains Bostonov.

Airport infrastructure plays an important role in the realisation of plans to launch direct flights to Europe. Manas Samidinov, head of Airports of Kyrgyzstan, noted that the country's airports already meet international requirements and are ready to accept European airlines.

‘At the moment we fully meet the requirements of aviation safety, flight safety and ground handling. Nevertheless, we continue to improve the infrastructure,’ Samidinov says.

A complete reconstruction of Manas airport will begin in 2024. It is planned to upgrade equipment and modernise terminals, which will increase capacity and comfort for passengers. In addition, the authorities are considering the possibility of attracting not only Kyrgyz tourists, but also European tourists who favour destinations with direct flights.

Kyrgyzstan's withdrawal from the EU blacklist will open new prospects for the country's aviation industry. However, the successful launch of flights to Europe will require the resolution of several key issues: the purchase of long-haul aircraft and the creation of conditions for the development of a competitive air transport market. If all these plans are realised, Kyrgyz citizens will be able to fly to Europe without connecting flights, and Kyrgyzstan, in turn, will become more accessible to tourists and investors from the EU.