The European Union signs a new aviation agreement with Kazakhstan

The European Union and the Republic of Kazakhstan signed a Horizontal Aviation Agreement on 23 June, a deal that will enhance connectivity between the EU and Kazakhstan by allowing any eligible EU airline to operate flights between Kazakhstan and any of the seventeen EU Member States that do not already have bilateral air services agreements with Kazakhstan permitting such services.

What makes this agreement particularly meaningful, beyond the connectivity itself, is what it actually removes. It replaces previous restrictions in those agreements that limited these routes to airlines owned or controlled by nationals of the respective Member State or Kazakhstan, granting all EU airlines equal access to the market and promoting open and fair competition, while creating new opportunities for passengers and businesses and providing greater legal certainty for both parties.

The European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, described the deal as reflecting a shared commitment to strengthening cooperation and bringing the EU and Kazakhstan’s economies closer together, framing the new opportunities for air services as a way to support growth, investment and exchanges on both sides. The agreement was signed by Commissioner Tzitzikostas and Kazakh Minister of Transport Nurlan Sauranbayev, in the presence of President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during the Kazakh President’s visit to Brussels, and is expected to enter into force in the near future once both parties complete their internal procedures.

Find out more: transport.ec.europa.eu