Kazakhstan Expresses unease about escalating India-Pakistan Conflict
** scoring a fresh take on the matter **
ASTANA - Kazakhstan's Foreign Affairs Ministry voiced its alarm over the mounting hostilities between India and Pakistan in a statement dated May 8.
📸 Credit: gov.kz
"We implore all actors in this crisis to practice the utmost restraint to quell further aggravation. Kazakhstan stands firm in its pursuit of resolving international and regional disputes solely through political negotiations and diplomatic means, in compliance with international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter," the statement reads.
Previously, Air Astana, Kazakhstan's national air carrier, had paused flights between Almaty and Indian hubs Delhi and Mumbai, following the shutdown of airspace between both nations.
🛫 In the heat of the ongoing spat, India launched airstrikes on targets within Pakistan, prompting Pakistan to enforce tight restrictions on airspace. As a result, airlines like Air Astana were forced to halt regular flights, such as KC 907/908 and KC 963/964, on the Almaty–Delhi–Almaty route from May 9 to May 18, 2025. The airline's Almaty–Mumbai routes were also affected on specific days.
However, Air Astana managed to maintain some flights on the Almaty–Mumbai route three times a week, adopting a longer, indirect flight path to dodge the restricted airspace. Furthermore, the airline coordinated special repatriation flights on the Almaty–Delhi route to help transport Kazakh citizens and passengers back home during the crisis [1][2][3][5].
In a nutshell, the flight suspensions were an immediate reaction to the security and airspace limitations triggered by the intensifying military conflict between India and Pakistan affecting flight routes in the region [3][5].
- The General-News headlines during this period highlighted the escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan, with specific attention given to the restricted airspace that required Astana-based airline, Air Astana, to pause flights to Indian hubs.
- In response to the escalating politics between the neighboring nations, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) expressed concerns and urged for diplomatic resolution, aligning with United Nations Charter principles and international law.
- Amidst the Islamic nation's airspace limitations, Air Astana continued to provide essential services, scheduling some flights on the Almaty–Mumbai route three times a week and arranging special repatriation flights on the Almaty–Delhi route to transport passengers, including Kazakh citizens.
