Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways on Thursday officially announced it is launching a direct passenger service between the city and Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city and former capital, with bookings now open and the first flight departing on Jan 9.

The new route marks Cathay’s first destination in Central Asia and is the only direct link between Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Kazakhstan. The airline and industry leaders in tourism, transportation and commerce said the route will strengthen the SAR’s ties with Kazakhstan, Central Asia and other countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, calling on stakeholders to seize the chance to find new growth drivers for Hong Kong.

According to Cathay’s statement, the carrier will operate a round-trip service on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Tickets are available on the airline’s website. The inaugural flight from Hong Kong will depart at 4:25 pm on Jan 9, and will take seven hours and five minutes. As of Thursday afternoon, the website showed that the economy class fares start around HK$2,300 ($293) per person, while business class tickets cost over HK$14,500.

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Indirect flights — typically transferring via Shanghai, Urumqi or Beijing — take at least 10.5 hours.

Also on Jan 9, the return leg from Almaty will depart at 9:50 pm and will take six hours and 10 minutes. Economy fares start at 200,000 Kazakhstani tenge ($438), while business class tickets are priced around 825,000 tenge.

The carrier said that Almaty, as Kazakhstan’s commercial and cultural capital, serves as an important gateway to Central Asia, and offers opportunities to expand trade, business and tourism.

The addition of Almaty to the group’s network reinforces its commitment to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a leading international aviation hub and enhance connectivity with important markets in countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, said the carrier.

The launch of the direct flight is one of the outcomes of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s business delegation to Central Asia in June, during which multiple memorandums and cooperation agreements were signed — including a commitment to launch direct flights between Hong Kong and Almaty in the first quarter of 2027.

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Lawmaker Ben Chan Han-pan, chairman of the Legislative Council’s Panel on Transport, said direct flights will benefit both sides in trade, tourism and cultural exchange.

“Where roads reach, wealth follows,” he said, expecting stronger economic and trade ties between Hong Kong SAR and economies engaged in the Belt and Road Initiative fostered by the new services, which will also help Hong Kong explore new growth drivers.

Chan also stressed the importance of cargo services, suggesting that Hong Kong could establish more freight links via Almaty and other airports in that region.

Perry Yiu Pak-leung, legislator and chairman of China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Ltd, said Almaty could serve as a key aviation hub connecting Central Asia, Russia, Eastern Europe and even the Caucasus region.

Yiu added that Kazakhstan, as a landlocked country, has seen a trend whereby travelers shift their holiday trips eastward in recent years, and Hong Kong SAR’s coastal environment is highly attractive to local consumers with strong spending power.

At the same time, he said Kazakhstan offers rich tourism resources including natural landscapes and ethnic cultures, making it suitable for study tours. He estimated such tours would last about 10 days, or up to 21 days if covering multiple countries, and suggested that the SAR government extend visa‑free periods with Central Asian countries.

Contact the writer at amberwu@chinadailyhk.com