New air service connects Singapore and Kazakhstan through Sanya, supporting tourism and trade.
SCAT Airlines launched its new Singapore–Sanya–Shymkent route on 20 October 2026 at Changi Airport, establishing the first scheduled air service between Kazakhstan and Singapore operated by a Kazakh airline. The twice-weekly service, routed through Sanya in China, followed two years of negotiations and cooperation between the two countries to improve air connectivity and facilitate tourism, trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Singapore H.E. Askar Kuttykadam, representatives of SCAT Airlines, Changi Airport Group and SATS Ltd., as well as passengers and guests from Kazakhstan. The event celebrated the departure of the inaugural flight, which was fully booked.
A traditional Singaporean lion dance was featured during the ceremony, adding a cultural element to the occasion as the new service commenced operations. The route is operated using Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft and connects Shymkent, Kazakhstan’s third-largest city, with Sanya, a destination in China, and Singapore, a major aviation hub in Southeast Asia.
The launch followed the political engagements and agreements between Kazakhstan and Singapore during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s State Visit to Singapore in May 2024 and Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s visit to Kazakhstan in August 2026. These high-level exchanges provided a broader context for the development of connectivity between the two countries.
The new service offers a direct air link between Singapore and Shymkent, with a stop in Sanya. Its twice-weekly schedule provides additional travel options for passengers moving between Central Asia and Southeast Asia, while connecting travellers to a destination in southern China.
The route also creates additional opportunities for exchanges in tourism, trade and investment between Kazakhstan and Singapore. By linking the two countries through a scheduled service operated by a Kazakh carrier, the route supports travel and business connections while complementing the bilateral relationship developed through official visits and diplomatic engagement.
The inauguration at Changi Airport represents a practical development in Kazakhstan–Singapore air connectivity, providing a new option for passenger travel between the two countries and onward connections through Sanya.
Source: Embassy of Kazakhstan in Singapore
