Dear Air Astana flyer,

Our low-cost subsidiary, Flyarystan, doubles its fleet this month to four aircraft. Monthly capacity will increase to 172,800 seats from its twin bases of Almaty and Nur-sultan. The average ticket price is now just 14,000 tenge ($35) inclusive of taxes and charges, with one third of tickets sold below 10,000 tenge. Flyarystan is fulfilling its promise to bring low-priced domestic airfares to the citizens of Kazakhstan and the response from the travelling public has been overwhelmingly positive, with aircraft load factors in excess of 90%. Flyarystan will soon begin its first international route, from Nur-sultan to Zhukovsky in the southern region of Moscow.

Travel to the ancient Silk Road is becoming increasingly popular, and I have frequently talked about the ease of access to Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva via Air Astana’s flights to Tashkent. However, we should remind ourselves that Kazakhstan has its own Silk Road gems in the historic region of Turkestan. Some colleagues and I recently travelled there to discuss tourism potential with the region’s dynamic and forwardlooking leadership. The city itself is undergoing a major facelift, including the construction of an international airport due for completion in 2020. The region’s attractions are unmissable: The ancient city of Otrar, where Tamburlaine the Great died, is being excavated and restored. Turkestan boasts one of the great Timurid mausoleums, built in the late 14th century to house the remains of the poet and prophet Khoja Ahmed Yasawi. The mausoleum is as impressive as any of the great monuments in neighbouring Uzbekistan and is a major pilgrimage site for the global Muslim community. A short drive south leads to the majestic Syr Darya river, known in ancient times as the Jaxartes, where Alexander the Great encountered fierce resistance from local tribes as his Central Asian campaign rolled northeast from Sogdia (now Samarkand). Travellers through this ancient and visually stunning region may be lucky enough to encounter large camel herds, still the favoured mode of transport across the nearby Kyzyl Kum desert. Flyarystan expects to start flights to Turkestan once the new airport is open.

I wish you a pleasant flight with Air Astana today.

Yours sincerely,