A staff member checks passengers' health certificates at the Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, on May 1, 2020. Kazakhstan has resumed domestic passenger flights between its capital Nur-Sultan and its largest city Almaty, which were suspended on March 30 due to COVID-19. Kazakhstan has reported 3,550 COVID-19 cases and 25 deaths as of Friday. At the end of April, the Kazakh government eased some COVID-19-related restrictions. (Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua)
NUR-SULTAN, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Kazakhstan has resumed domestic passenger flights between its capital Nur-Sultan and its largest city Almaty, which were suspended on March 30 due to COVID-19.
Six flights will be operated between Nur-Sultan and Almaty per day beginning Friday. Flights from Nur-Sultan and Almaty to Kyzylorda, Oskemen, Semey and Petropavlovsk will resume on May 4.
Daulet Khamzin, executive director of the Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport, said all necessary safety measures will be taken during the quarantine period.
"Special posts have been set up at the entrance of the airport building and only passengers with certificates showing they have tested negative for COVID-19 are allowed to board planes. All passengers must wear masks and gloves and observe social distancing. Sanitizers have been installed and all places where there is contact with passengers will be disinfected," said Khamzin.
Almaty resident Marzia Zholymbetova is among the first batch of passengers. "There are no queues, and only those on board the plane are allowed to enter the airport building," she said.
Nazarbayev airport is one of the busiest airports in Central Asia, with about 200 flights daily before the pandemic. The airport switched to cargo flights amid the lockdown.
Kazakhstan has reported 3,550 COVID-19 cases and 25 deaths as of Friday. At the end of April, the Kazakh government eased some coronavirus-related restrictions.
