Over 100 additional flights to be launched from Astana and Almaty for Nauryz
Tengrinews.kz – Kazakhstanis will have five consecutive days off from March 21 to 25. To ensure everyone can visit relatives or go on a short trip, carriers will launch dozens of additional flights. Tengri Travel looked into which destinations will get extra trains and flights.
If you didn’t manage to book a flight in advance, now is the time to check airline websites. According to the Civil Aviation Committee, Kazakh airlines have added about 160 additional flights for Nauryz.
From March 16 to 29, Air Astana and FlyArystan will operate 146 additional departures:
80 flights Almaty — Astana;the remaining flights from Astana, Almaty, and Aktau to Aktobe, Shymkent, Turkestan, Karaganda, Kostanay, Semey, Aktau, Atyrau, Ust-Kamenogorsk, and Uralsk.
From March 19 to 21, SCAT will add:
5 flights on the Almaty – Astana route;1 flight on the Shymkent – Aktau route.
From March 23 to 26:
4 flights on the Almaty – Astana route;1 flight Shymkent – Astana;1 flight Aktau – Astana.
"Passengers are advised to check information about additional flights and ticket availability on official airline websites and to book tickets in advance when planning trips," the agency added.
Additional trains
According to the Passenger Transportation company, additional railcars and electric trains will be launched for Nauryz:
March 20 and 21 – electric train No. 7510 Astana – Pavlodar;
March 25 – electric train No. 7509 Pavlodar – Astana;
March 25 – electric trains No. 6803/6804 Astana – Atbasar;
March 25 – electric train No. 887/888 Nurly Zhol – Borovoe Resort;
March 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, and 30 – electric trains No. 6975/6976 Shu – Taraz.
On March 20, 22, and 24, 2026, two additional carriages (one compartment and one open-plan) will be added to passenger train No. 606/605 Karaganda – Balkhash.
As a reminder, the main spring holiday will give Kazakhstanis a mini-vacation. Nauryz is traditionally celebrated from March 21 to 23. In 2026, these dates fall on weekends, so additional days off are moved to March 24 and 25.
Holiday schedule for Nauryz 2026:
With a five-day workweek — from March 21 to 25: five consecutive days off (Saturday to Wednesday);
With a six-day workweek — March 21, 22, 23, and 24 are days off, March 25 is a working day.
It is also worth noting that from March 14 to 23, Kazakhstan will host the nationwide Nauryznama decade — a series of festive and cultural events dedicated to Nauryz. Each day is devoted to a specific theme and associated with certain values and traditions.
Nauryznama schedule:
March 14 — “Korisu kuni – Amal holiday”: a day of meetings and warm greetings.March 15 — “Charity Day”: a day of kindness and mutual support.March 16 — “Culture and National Traditions Day”.March 17 — “Shanyrak Day”: a day of family and generational continuity.March 18 — “National Clothing Day”.March 19 — “Renewal Day”.March 20 — “National Sports Day”.March 21 — “Unity Day”.March 22 — “New Year”: the main celebration of Nauryz.March 23 — “Cleanliness Day”: a day of ecological awareness.