UAE Budget Carriers Cancels Almaty Flights Amidst Protests

After violent protests took place in Kazakhstan and the government announcing a state of emergency in Almaty, budget airline Flydubai has cancelled its flights from the UAE.

On Thursday, the Dubai-based carrier halted flights to Almaty for the second day in a row, stating that it is monitoring the situation. Flights to Nur-Sultan, on the other hand, are functioning normally.

“Due to the situation on the ground in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Flydubai flights FZ 737/8 and FZ 1721/2 between Dubai and Almaty on January 6 have been cancelled. Flydubai's FZ 1705/6 flights between Dubai and Nur-Sultan are now running on time. We are watching the situation and analysing the flight schedule”, a Flydubai official stated.

On January 5, Flydubai flights FZ 1721/2 from Dubai International (DXB) to Almaty Airport (ALA) were cancelled. The Kuwaiti budget carrier Jazeera Airways also cancelled flights to Almaty on the same day.

Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev accepted the resignation of the government on Wednesday, as violent protests against the government continued in response to a rise in petrol prices in the oil-rich country.

After the state of emergency was introduced, the situation in protest-hit cities and towns are improving.