Private jet charter in Kazakhstan
Leave a London field at eight in the morning and the wheels touch down in the Kazakh steppe a little after six in the evening, local time, in British summer. The sector is more than 2,600 nautical miles, which settles the cabin before anything else, and Kazakhstan then asks for a landing permit from its own civil aviation committee, a handler at each airport and, for most travellers, an electronic authorisation filed online. Our customers have access to 6,500 jets of all types and configurations available for rent. We will help you choose the best option based on your needs and objectives. Our catalog contains the models from the largest manufacturers: Gulfstream, Dassault, Embraer, Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Learjet, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pilatus, HondaJet, etc. We have established partnerships with the world's largest airlines and VIP terminals, which means we can offer you favourable flight conditions and a high level of service. Our experts will manage the organization of your flight - starting with paperwork, agreements, etc., and ending with a transfer and meeting at the airport. Our company provides a full range of business aviation and concierge services. In Kazakhstan that includes the part clients tend to forget: the country is the ninth largest in the world, its cities lie a thousand kilometres or more apart, and the second flight, from the capital to the mountains, the Caspian or the old Silk Road towns, is often worth more than the first.
At your request, the aviation consultants of Private Jets UK will help you choose the jet with the suitable technical parameters (production year, flight hours, and home base). The cost of the private jet charter in Kazakhstan depends on many factors, such as the model of the business jet, the number of passengers, departure and destination airports, type of flight, duration of parking, additional services, etc. Therefore, we calculate the price of each order individually taking into account your wishes. You can use an online calculator to get an instant charter quote. Please indicate your real contact details to get the final calculation.
You can calculate the cost of your flight in several ways:
- using an online calculator on the website (however, it shows only the approximate price);
- via Messenger (WhatsApp or Telegram);
- by landline or cell phone;
- via e-mail (jets@private-jets.co.uk).
Please note that the above-mentioned price is indicative only. It is calculated on this basis: a departure from Biggin Hill, an Embraer Praetor 600 flying nonstop to Astana and two passengers aboard. If you want to get a personal quote, just fill out the online booking form below. Our aviation consultant will make the calculation within 20 minutes, and then contact you to specify the details of the flight.
How long does it take to fly to Kazakhstan?
Kazakhstan keeps one clock all year, five hours ahead of UTC, so Astana and Almaty are four hours ahead of Britain in summer and five in winter. The times below are gate to gate in still air, flown nonstop in a Praetor 600 from British fields to the capital, with Almaty a thousand kilometres further south-east:
2,681 nautical miles with the routing allowance, nonstopabout 6 h 20 min
2,698 nautical miles, nonstopabout 6 h 20 min
2,695 nautical miles, nonstopabout 6 h 20 min
3,144 nautical miles, nonstop, for the southern half of the countryabout 7 h 20 min
6.5 nautical miles in a straight line; a car takes 20 to 25 minutes, longer in snowabout 25 min
What the clock says on arrival
A departure from Biggin Hill at eight in the morning in British summer reaches Astana at about twenty past six in the evening local time, and an hour later in winter, so the first evening is dinner and a night's sleep and not a meeting. The way home gains hours: leave Astana at eight and you are in Britain by late morning, because the clock gives back four or five hours, although the headwind on the westbound leg usually adds a little flying time.
A same-day return is not a plan. More than twelve hours of flying, a landing permit window and crew duty limits rule it out. Two nights on the ground is the shortest trip that works, and a week suits a trip that includes Almaty and the mountains.
Range check: what flies nonstop and what stops
– A super-midsize jet is the practical floor. The Embraer Praetor 600 lists a range of about 3,900 nautical miles, which covers every British field in the table to Astana with a reserve, and the Challenger 350 (about 3,200) also reaches the capital, at £50,450 against £42,900 for the Praetor from Biggin Hill;
– Lighter jets stop. The Citation Latitude lists about 2,700 nautical miles, which is less than the planned track to Astana once the routing is counted, so it flies with one fuel stop. On the same formula that adds about 450 nautical miles, takes the sector to about 7 h 30 min and the price to about £58,250, so the lower hourly rate does not survive the stop;
– For Almaty, the southern gateway, the Praetor is the only nonstop choice we quote, since the Challenger 350 sits on the edge of its range, and a party of ten or more is better in a large-cabin jet that carries the luggage and the people without a weight compromise.
The exact flight time depends on the model of the business jet, as well as the speed of the tail or head wind. Our consultant will make a detailed calculation of the flight time for the chosen business jet.
Prices for the private jet flights to Kazakhstan
Typical private jet prices from Britain to Astana, cheapest first. Every row is a Praetor 600 flown nonstop into the capital, and the spread between the fields is small because the hours in the air decide the bill:
| Route | Aircraft | Price, one way |
|---|---|---|
| Biggin Hill - Astana 2,681 nm / 4,965 km, nonstop, 6 h 20 min |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
from £42,900 |
| East Midlands - Astana 2,682 nm / 4,967 km, nonstop, 6 h 20 min |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
from £42,900 |
| Glasgow - Astana 2,695 nm / 4,991 km, nonstop, 6 h 20 min |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
from £43,100 |
| London Gatwick - Astana 2,694 nm / 4,989 km, nonstop, 6 h 20 min |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
from £43,100 |
| Manchester - Astana 2,698 nm / 4,997 km, nonstop, 6 h 20 min |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
from £43,150 |
| Birmingham - Astana 2,707 nm / 5,013 km, nonstop, 6 h 20 min |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
from £43,300 |
| Farnborough - Astana 2,710 nm / 5,019 km, nonstop, 6 h 20 min |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
from £43,350 |
| Liverpool - Astana 2,718 nm / 5,034 km, nonstop, 6 h 25 min |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
from £43,450 |
| Southampton - Astana 2,740 nm / 5,074 km, nonstop, 6 h 25 min |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
from £43,800 |
| Bristol - Astana 2,773 nm / 5,136 km, nonstop, 6 h 30 min |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
from £44,300 |
| Belfast City - Astana 2,777 nm / 5,143 km, nonstop, 6 h 30 min |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
from £44,350 |
| Cardiff - Astana 2,793 nm / 5,173 km, nonstop, 6 h 35 min |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
from £44,600 |
| Exeter - Astana 2,817 nm / 5,217 km, nonstop, 6 h 35 min |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
from £44,950 |
Two things worth knowing about these figures
– The starting field moves the price far less than the aircraft does. Luton (£42,850), Stansted and Newcastle (£42,150) are a little shorter than Biggin Hill and a little cheaper; Cardiff is £44,600, about £1,700 more. The same flight to Almaty from Biggin Hill is £49,900, because the southern gateway is another 460 nautical miles on. A quote that looks very cheap is usually a light jet that has not been counted with its stop, so ask which aircraft it is;
– The Kazakh end adds lines that are not in the table: the landing permit issued by the Civil Aviation Committee, air navigation and airport charges, handling, fuel on the day, and, for a stay of several days, parking. We show them separately in the offer.
Private jet flights within Kazakhstan and to its neighbours
Kazakhstan is a country where the road is rarely an answer: Astana to Almaty is about a thousand kilometres in a straight line, and the Talgo express train is the common alternative. A light jet or a turboprop earns its fee here more clearly than in most of Europe. The sectors clients ask for are the hop from the capital to the northern lakes, the capital-to-Almaty link, the oil cities on the Caspian, and short crossings to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, with Istanbul and the Gulf as the first real sectors beyond Central Asia:
| Route | Aircraft | Flight time | Price, one way |
|---|---|---|---|
| Almaty - Bishkek 118 nm / 219 km |
Pilatus PC-12 NGX up to 8 passengers |
about 45 min | from £3,100 |
| Astana - Kokshetau 161 nm / 298 km |
Pilatus PC-12 NGX up to 8 passengers |
about 55 min | from £3,100 |
| Atyrau - Aktau 206 nm / 382 km |
Phenom 300E up to 7 passengers |
about 50 min | from £5,700 |
| Almaty - Tashkent 381 nm / 706 km |
Citation CJ3+ up to 6 passengers |
about 1 h 15 min | from £6,150 |
| Astana - Almaty 534 nm / 989 km |
Citation CJ3+ up to 6 passengers |
about 1 h 40 min | from £7,950 |
| Astana - Shymkent 547 nm / 1,013 km |
Phenom 300E up to 7 passengers |
about 1 h 35 min | from £8,150 |
| Almaty - Dubai 1,581 nm / 2,928 km |
Citation Latitude up to 8 passengers |
about 3 h 55 min | from £30,750 |
| Almaty - Istanbul 2,203 nm / 4,080 km |
Praetor 600 up to 8 passengers |
about 5 h 15 min | from £35,650 |
Two things worth knowing about these sectors
– Every flight inside Kazakhstan is a separate movement and needs its own permission from the Civil Aviation Committee. The published rules add that a landing at an aerodrome not designated as international is made with a Kazakh-certificated pilot or navigator associated with the flight, because services there are not provided in English. Whether a foreign-registered aircraft may fly a purely domestic sector is a question we put to the Committee before we price a loop through two Kazakh cities;
– A hop to Bishkek or Tashkent is short in the air and still means two border clearances and two permits, so it is priced with the permits and the handling at both ends. For Dubai and Istanbul the larger question is the route, which the operator plans and we confirm in writing, together with the permit status, before the offer is final.
We can arrange the flights from any cities in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and European countries. Due to a large database of available business jets, we can help you find an optimal jet and crew. If you have any questions about the departure or the flight itself, you can ask them using the form below:
Prices depending on the type of business jet
We can clearly show the high dependence of the cost of the flight, on the type of aircraft - we have collected approximate data, at the price of 1 flight hour, for various types of business jets:
The cost per hour indicated in the table is preliminary and does not constitute an offer or a commercial offer. Exact prices are available from the managers of the company.
Online Calculator
If you want to make an urgent calculation of the cost of a private plane flight, use our online calculator. Just fill in all the fields of the form with a note that you are interested in a specific model of the aircraft and get the final price. NB! - the figures are sent to you by email or messenger, please carefully fill in the contact details to get the calculation.
All our calculations are as transparent as possible for you. After receiving the request, we will prepare a beautiful offer - where the costs and the final price will be clearly described. The exact price is agreed in advance and is written in the contract, so you can be sure of the final cost.
Private jets are ready to take off
Our database contains over 6,500 business jets (about 3,500 in Europe and 3,000 in the rest of the world) of different configurations and production years. The list of models is constantly updated. Unfortunately, we can't post a full list of available jets on our website due to confidentiality issues. Please contact the managers of the company for more accurate information. We will help you choose a suitable model taking into account your wishes. These are the typical choices for Kazakhstan:
Super-midsize, the working choice from Britain
The Praetor 600 makes the run to the capital with room to spare and costs less per hour than the Challenger 350. It suits up to eight people who want to arrive and work.
Midsize and light, for the legs inside Central Asia
From Britain they need a stop, so we use them where they are strongest: from Astana or Almaty to the neighbours, the oil cities and the northern lakes.
Large cabins
For ten or more passengers, or a team that works in the air. A full cabin on a sector this long sometimes means a lighter load or a stop, and we show both figures.
Heavy and ultra-long range
The comfortable answer on a six or seven hour sector: a bed on the way home, space for a delegation and range for the next stage towards Asia.
Turboprops
The aircraft for Kokshetau, Bishkek and the regional runways. Not for the flight from Britain, which would take two days at turboprop speed.
For a Kazakh booking the nearest suitable aircraft is often not in Britain. Istanbul, the Gulf and Central Asian operators hold large charter fleets, and positioning from one of them can move the price more than the choice of model. We look at the whole map before a number is sent.
How to book a private jet?
You can book a private jet flight to Kazakhstan in 6 easy steps:
- Flight request - indicating the route and your preferences for the model of business jet and other points.
- Coordination of flight details - our consultant will contact you to offer the possible flight options and answer all your questions.
- Commercial offer - we will send you a final offer on a specific model taking into account all your wishes.
- Signing of the contract.
- Payment for the flight and booking a business jet.
- Departure at the agreed time and date. Assistance during the whole flight.
In addition to renting the private jets and arranging the flights, we provide concierge services, premium transfer, security, exclusive catering, etc. We have learned to solve problems of any complexity, offering the service of the European level. Our experts will be happy to answer your questions and help you arrange your flight.
How to rent a business jet with a crew
5 main stages:
-
Sending an application
-
Clarification of details and search for options
-
Preparation and coordination of optimal options
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Registration of documents. Payment of the invoice.
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Departure on the route.
Business aviation airports in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan has two airports that matter to a jet arriving from Britain, a belt of capable regional runways, and a few private oil-field strips that are not for guests. The published rule is that the first landing or the last departure on an international flight must be at an aerodrome where customs and immigration are available, so almost every itinerary starts at Astana or Almaty, or at one of the Caspian or southern airports below, and fans out from there:
| Airport | Ground | How it operates |
|---|---|---|
| Astana NQZ / UACC |
6.5 nautical miles (about 12 km) from the centre, 355 m above sea level | The capital's gateway and our price anchor. One runway, 04/22, 3,500 by 45 metres, approved for Category II and IIIA approaches. The aerodrome operator, customs, immigration, health control, handling, fuelling and de-icing are all listed as available round the clock, and the fuel is TS-1/RT, the equivalent of Jet A-1. Private flights are looked after by the executive handlers Kazakhstan Air Services and Just Aviation, with Prime Aviation also listed, and a VIP lounge with a private entrance and its own border control is available for a fee. The AIP lists no hangar space for visiting aircraft, although handlers advertise hangar parking, so we confirm it |
| Almaty ALA / UAAA |
8.1 nautical miles (about 15 km) from the centre, 681 m above sea level | The southern gateway and the airport for the mountains. Two parallel runways, 05R/23L at 4,400 metres and 05L/23R at 4,500 by 45 metres. Customs, immigration, handling and fuel are listed round the clock, with no noise or night restriction in the published text. Prime Aviation, Kazakhstan Air Services and Euro Jet handle business flights, and a hangar is available on request. We name the handler and the arrival terminal in the offer |
| Shymkent CIT / UAII |
6.4 nautical miles (about 12 km) from the city, 1,387 ft above sea level | The southern city near the Uzbek border and a natural landing point for Turkistan. One runway, 10/28, 3,300 by 45 metres. Customs, immigration, handling and fuel are listed round the clock. A useful alternative gateway when the party is going on to Turkistan by road |
| Atyrau GUW / UATG |
4.3 nautical miles (about 8 km) north-west of the city, 72 ft below sea level | The airport of the Caspian oil capital. A single runway, 14/32, 2,999 by 45 metres, approved for Category II landings on 14. Customs, immigration, handling and fuelling are listed round the clock. The Tengiz field has a private airfield, but it is listed for national traffic only, so international guests for the field arrive here |
| Aktau SCO / UATE |
12.4 nautical miles (about 23 km) from the city, 75 ft above sea level | The Caspian port and the gateway to the Mangystau desert. Runway 11/29 is 3,048 by 45 metres. Customs, immigration, handling and fuelling are listed round the clock, with no hangar for visiting aircraft. |
| Turkistan HSA / UAIT |
16 nautical miles east of the city centre, 989 ft above sea level | The airport of the pilgrim city, with a runway of 3,300 by 45 metres. Handling and fuel are listed round the clock, but customs and immigration are available only by prior request, so an international arrival has to be arranged in advance. Unless that request is agreed in advance, we land at Shymkent and drive |
| Kokshetau UACK |
8.1 nautical miles from the town, 888 ft above sea level | The nearest aerodrome to the Burabay lakes. One runway of 2,849 by 45 metres. Customs, immigration, handling and fuel are listed against operational need and not by fixed hours, so it is a turboprop or light jet stop arranged case by case |
| Ust-Kamenogorsk UKK / UASK |
7 nautical miles from the city, 942 ft above sea level | The airport of the Altai region in the east. Runway 12/30 is 2,800 by 45 metres. Customs, immigration and handling are listed against operational need and parts of the taxiway system are listed as out of use, so this is a case-by-case airport and not a first landing |
Three rules settle most Kazakh arrivals before a quote goes out:
The permit comes first
A foreign non-scheduled flight needs permission from the Civil Aviation Committee. The AIP says applications are accepted round the clock, that permission is issued free of charge, and that the application should arrive no later than three working days before the flight, or five before the first of a series of four or more.
The paperwork is the operator's
The application needs the air operator certificate and operations specifications, the registration and airworthiness certificates and third-party and passenger liability insurance, with the purpose of the flight, the number of passengers and the route and schedule in UTC.
A handler at every airport
Handling, fuel, flight permits and crew visa support are arranged airport by airport, and the executive handlers run their operations desks round the clock. The offer names the handler, the terminal and the permit status for each leg.
Give the driver the terminal as well as the flight
At Astana a business flight typically uses the executive handlers' arrival and not the main passenger terminal, and a driver sent to the wrong building waits at the wrong end of a long site. We pass the handler, the terminal, the aircraft registration and the passenger names to the driver the day before.
Arriving from Britain: passports, ETA and what to carry
Kazakhstan is outside the European Union and the Schengen area, but a British citizen can enter without a visa for business or tourism. Formalities are cleared at the airport of arrival, so a family of three goes through the same process as a delegation of twelve.
British citizens can stay up to 30 days for business or tourism without a visa, with as many visits as they like, but not more than 90 days in any 18030 days
the Foreign Office describes an online QazETA, filed at least 72 hours before travel, valid for 180 days and not extending the visa-free stay; whether it is recommended or compulsory on your dates, we check against the Foreign Office page when we quoteapply early
valid for at least 30 days after arrival, with at least one blank pagecheck before the quote
a hotel or host registers the arrival with the Kazakh authorities within three working dayshotels do it for you
more than US$10,000 in cash must be declared on arrival, and undeclared sums can be confiscateddeclare it
carry the original passport at all times, because copies are not accepted; photography is restricted near airports, military sites and border areasno photos at the apron
Closed areas, longer stays and the way home
Longer stays, study and work need a visa or work permit through the Kazakh Embassy in the UK, and a yellow fever certificate is needed for travellers arriving from a country on the transmission-risk list. A few places are closed areas that require prior permission from several ministries: the town of Baikonur, the village of Gvardeyskiy, and the Karmakchi and Kazalinsk districts of Kyzylorda region. They are not part of our planning, and if your wider itinerary touches the region, tell us before booking.
Export of historically or culturally valuable art and antiques, gold, precious stones and rare minerals is restricted, and importing or selling e-cigarettes can bring a fine or up to two years in prison. Coming home is a flight into Britain: a General Aviation Report goes to the border authorities not earlier than 48 hours and not later than two hours before departure, and British and Irish citizens need no electronic travel authorisation for the UK.
Which airport for which part of Kazakhstan
The capital takes the business, Almaty takes the mountains, and everything else is a question of how the last stretch is made. The distances are long, the runways are good, and the helicopter is for places without one:
the capital, with the Baiterek tower, Khan Shatyr and the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, set on a flat steppe and cold in winterAstana
about 257 km from Astana, around three hours by car on the toll highway or two and a half by the fast train; the national park has lakes and rock formations, and a turboprop to Kokshetau takes under an hourAstana, then road or Kokshetau
the largest city and the old capital, with the Shymbulak ski area 25 km to the south, the Medeu rink and the Kok-Tobe hillAlmaty
Charyn Canyon is about 200 km east of Almaty; the Kolsai lakes are about 300 km away, four to six hours each way by road, and the upper lake needs a border-zone passAlmaty, then road or helicopter
the southern city, and the town of the Yasawi mausoleum about 160 km to the north-westShymkent, or Turkistan by arrangement
the Caspian port and the gateway to the desert plateau of canyons, chalk cliffs and sacred sites reached by unsealed roadsAktau
the city on the Ural river, on the boundary of Europe and Asia, and the base for the Tengiz and Kashagan fieldsAtyrau
the mountain region of the far east of the countryUst-Kamenogorsk
Astana, Almaty and the steppe: what our clients go for
Kazakhstan covers about 2.7 million square kilometres, which makes it the ninth largest country in the world and the largest landlocked one, with a shoreline on the Caspian. About twenty million people live in it, which means one of the lowest densities anywhere. The Caspian coast, the mountains on the border with China and Kyrgyzstan, the desert plateaus and the steppe are the same country, and an itinerary that tries to cover all of it needs an aircraft more than anything.
Astana took over as the capital from Almaty. It is the second coldest capital in the world after Ulaanbaatar, with a January mean of about minus 14 degrees and a July mean of about 21, and its skyline is new and deliberate: the 105 m Baiterek observation tower, Khan Shatyr, described as the largest tent in the world, and the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, built to host the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. The Nur Alem pavilion left from the world fair is described as the largest spherical building in the world. Delegations make short, dense stays: arrive the evening before, meet on the second day, fly out on the third.
Almaty is the opposite in temperament. It is the largest city and the cultural and economic centre, it sits under snow-capped mountains, and its clients are skiers, hikers and people who want a long weekend before or after the meetings in Astana. Shymbulak, the ski area, is 25 km to the south, with a base at 2,200 m and slopes up to 3,200 m reached by gondola from Medeu, where the rink runs from October to May. Charyn Canyon, 150 to 300 metres deep with its Valley of Castles, and the Kolsai lakes at 1,818, 2,252 and 2,850 m are day trips or overnight trips in the same direction.
The west is another country. Atyrau, on the Ural river and 20 m below sea level, is a base for the Tengiz and Kashagan oil fields, with a large community of international oil company staff, and the executive traffic in and out of it is nearly all business. Aktau, on the Caspian shore, is the gateway to Mangystau, a plateau of canyons, chalk cliffs and sacred underground sites where tourism is organised through local operators. In the south, Turkistan has the Yasawi mausoleum, built by Timur in the 1390s and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the northern lake district of Burabay is the Kazakh capital's weekend retreat.
The Kazakh year: frost, heat and the ski season
The climate is continental and the extremes are real. Winters in the north are severe, summers in the south and west are very hot, and the transitions are short:
Astana averages about minus 14 degrees in January and the cold can fall below minus 30; Burabay averages minus 16, with snow cover from mid-November to April; the Shymbulak ski season runs from November to April, with the peak from December to Marchskiing and short city stays
Almaty's gardens and tulips bloom, with rain and snow lingering in the mountains until mid-April; April and May are one of the two best windows for Mangystau, with Aktau averaging 12 to 18 degreesspring and the desert
Astana averages about 21 in July and can reach 35; Almaty reaches the 30s; the Caspian coast is hot, with a recorded maximum in Atyrau above 44 degreesmountains, lakes and the north
the driest and most comfortable weeks in Almaty, about 18 degrees in September, with harvest fairs in October and snow back on the peaks by the end of the month; Mangystau is at its best againbusiest leisure season
The cold is a scheduling fact
Winter in Astana is the one season that changes a jet booking: a departure on a very cold morning can slip, and the cold affects the helicopter and the road transfer more than the aircraft. From Biggin Hill the Praetor 600 quote to Astana is £42,900 one way and to Almaty £49,900, and in winter we plan the second night into the schedule, not the first morning.
The Kazakh calendar: Nauryz, the forum and the mountains
The fixed pegs are few, and each one pulls on a different part of the country:
Why a forum week costs more
Not for the flying, which is the same all year. The pressure is on permits, handlers and hotels: the permit has to be requested at least three working days ahead, and in forum week every operator is asking for the same slots. A request made a fortnight before may pay more and may mean an aircraft positioned from Istanbul or the Gulf, while one made six to eight weeks ahead is simpler and cheaper.
Flying to Kazakhstan with a dog or a cat
The animal sits in the cabin with you and no hold is involved. What takes the time is the paperwork, which comes in two parts of very different weight: a short one for Kazakhstan and a long one for the way home. Kazakhstan is not on Britain's list of countries with the simple pet-travel rules, and that fact decides the calendar.
Two sets of rules
For entry into Kazakhstan the authority is the Committee for Veterinary Control and Supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture. The sources that describe the routine for personal pets agree on the main points and we plan to them, confirming with the Committee in writing for your animal before a booking with a pet is taken: an ISO microchip, a rabies vaccination given from 12 weeks of age with at least 21 days before travel, and a health certificate from an official government vet, typically valid for 10 days before arrival, in an official language of Kazakhstan or with a certified translation. A personal pet normally needs no import permit and no quarantine if the documents are in order, though the animal may be inspected at the border, and no more than five pets travel with one person.
Coming home is where the planning is. Because Kazakhstan is not a listed country, a dog or cat returning to Great Britain needs a Great Britain pet health certificate and a rabies antibody blood test: a sample taken at least 30 days after the vaccination, a result of at least 0.5 IU/ml from an approved laboratory, and three months between the sample and the day of travel. A dog also needs a tapeworm treatment from a vet no less than 24 hours and no more than 5 days before arrival. An animal that does not meet the rules can be held in quarantine for up to four months. In practice the blood test is done in Britain, months before the trip.
- An ISO-standard microchip, fitted before the rabies vaccination;
- A rabies vaccination given at 12 weeks of age or later and kept in date, with the wait of at least 21 days before travel;
- A health certificate from an official vet, issued within the window for entry, with a certified translation where the Committee asks for one;
- For the way home, the blood test and the three-month wait described above, the Great Britain pet health certificate and, for a dog, the tapeworm treatment given in Kazakhstan inside its window.
Cats need the same list without the worming. The treatment for a dog has to be given in Astana or Almaty, so we book the vet appointment together with the aircraft, and the time of the treatment and the time of the departure are agreed in a single message. We confirm the entry point and the paperwork for the animal in writing before the flight, and the rules for birds, ferrets and less usual species are set out on our flying with pets guide.
Empty Legs
An empty leg is a repositioning flight with nobody aboard, offered at a fraction of the usual price. The Kazakh corridor is thinner than the busiest London routes, but a trip this long is nearly always one-way by nature, so the supply is real.
Where Kazakh empty legs come from
– Delegations and forum weeks. Aircraft arrive in Astana with guests and typically leave empty a day or two later, which produces westbound legs towards Istanbul and Europe;
– The Caspian oil cities. Executive jets that take crews and managers to Atyrau and Aktau often return without a booking;
– Traffic between Europe and the east. Jets repositioning towards Central Asia or China pass through Kazakhstan, and a leg that starts or ends there is sometimes offered on its own.
A client who can offer a few days has a far better chance of a match than one who needs a particular evening, though the operator owns the date and a leg can disappear when the original booking changes. Whatever is free is listed on our empty legs page. A selection of Kazakh empty legs follows:
| Route | Aircraft | Capacity | Whole aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kazakhstan (Astana) - UK (London Biggin Hill) nonstop |
Praetor 600 | 9 seats | £18,000 |
| Kazakhstan (Astana) - UK (Glasgow) nonstop |
Praetor 600 | 9 seats | £18,100 |
| UK (Manchester) - Kazakhstan (Astana) nonstop |
Praetor 600 | 9 seats | £18,100 |
| Kazakhstan (Astana) - UK (Farnborough) nonstop |
Praetor 600 | 9 seats | £18,200 |
| UK (Birmingham) - Kazakhstan (Astana) nonstop |
Praetor 600 | 9 seats | £18,200 |
| UK (Bristol) - Kazakhstan (Astana) nonstop |
Praetor 600 | 9 seats | £18,600 |
| Kazakhstan (Almaty) - UK (London Luton) nonstop |
Praetor 600 | 9 seats | £20,950 |
| UK (London Biggin Hill) - Kazakhstan (Almaty) nonstop |
Praetor 600 | 9 seats | £20,950 |
How to read those figures
– Each price is for the whole aircraft rather than per seat. A Praetor 600 from Manchester with eight aboard comes to about £2,250 a head;
– The legs cluster after forum weeks and the winter holidays, and they are less regular than the ones to Germany or Italy, so an open return date helps.
Helicopter charter
In Kazakhstan a helicopter is a tool for the edges of a trip, not the middle. The cities are a short drive from their airports, and rotary flight changes the journey only where the road is long, slow or absent: the northern lakes, the mountains behind Almaty and the canyons to the east. The times are our estimates for a typical turbine helicopter in good visibility:
the ski area 25 km to the south, against a drive that can take an hour in winter trafficabout 15 min
the canyon about 200 km to the east by road, against a long day tripabout 55 min
the Medeu valley, Shymbulak and the peaks of the Trans-Ili Alatauabout 30 min
the lake district about 257 km by road, against around three hours by carabout 1 h 20 min
Before you plan around a helicopter
A helicopter cannot land wherever it likes. A landing away from an aerodrome needs an authorised site, so a hotel lawn, a lakeside lodge or a ski base is cleared before we quote and not after, and a place used last time is not assumed to be cleared this time. The upper Kolsai lake lies in a border zone, and a flight to it is only a question once the permit exists.
Cold sets the schedule in the north and low cloud on the Alatau in the south, and either can keep a machine on the ground while a jet lands normally. Book the helicopter together with the jet, and keep a road alternative in the same day.
Flights from the UK to Kazakhstan
Biggin Hill, Luton and Gatwick are the usual London fields for the nonstop run to the capital, Farnborough and Southampton serve a western departure, and the Midlands, the north, Wales and Scotland add a little to the hours and very little to the price; the table higher up covers thirteen of those pairings. Our clients have access to all airports of the UK and Europe. Due to the unique partnership conditions, we can offer our clients the best prices for business aviation services. Our experts will consult you on the availability of private jets in a particular city and help you choose the best option.
List of TOP 25 business aviation airports:
| Airport | Country | ICAO | IATA |
|---|---|---|---|
 London Heathrow Airport |
England | EGLL | LHR |
| Birmingham Airport |
England | EGBB | BHX |
| London Gatwick |
England | EGKK | LGW |
| London City Airport |
England | EGLC | LCY |
| London Luton |
England | EGGW | LTN |
| Edinburgh Airport |
Scotland | EGPH | EDI |
| Leeds Airport |
England | EGNM | LBA |
| Manchester Airport |
England | EGCC | MAN |
| London Stansted |
England | EGSS | STN |
| Liverpool John Lennon Airport |
England | EGGP | LPL |
| Newcastle Airport |
England | EGNT | NCL |
| Bristol Airport |
England | EGGD | BRS |
| Glasgow Airport |
Scotland | EGPF | GLA |
| East Midlands Airport |
England | EGNX | EMA |
| Southampton Airport |
England | EGHI | SOU |
| Jersey Airport |
Channel Islands | EGJJ | JER |
| Cardiff International Airport |
Wales | EGFF | CWL |
| Inverness Airport |
Scotland | EGPE | INV |
| Bournemouth Airport |
England | EGHH | BOH |
| London Farnborough Airport |
England | EGLF | FAB |
| Oxford Airport |
England | EGTK | OXF |
| London Biggin Hill |
England | EGKB | BQH |
| Belfast Airport |
Northern Ireland | EGAA | BFS |
| Gibraltar Airport |
Gibraltar | LXGB | GIB |
| Aberdeen Airport |
Scotland | EGPD | ABZ |
Kazakh charters from the booking notes: six typical trips
Six typical jobs put together from booking notes with the particulars changed, so none describes one named client or date.
ASTANA · TWO NIGHTS
Two directors and a ministry meeting
Birmingham - Astana, Praetor 600, about 6 h 20 min · 2 pax
The permit was requested a week ahead, and both electronic authorisations were filed more than 72 hours ahead. Wheels up at seven, on the ground in the capital in the evening, the meeting on the second morning and a flight out on the third.
ALMATY · A SKI WEEK
Five friends and a Saturday departure
London Luton - Almaty, Praetor 600, about 7 h 20 min · 5 pax
The aircraft stayed on the ground in Almaty for the week and flew home on the following Saturday. Skis went as soft bags, a hotel booked the transfers to Shymbulak, and the offer showed the parked and the sent-away variants side by side.
TWO CITIES · BURABAY AND ALMATY
A family of four across Kazakhstan
Manchester - Astana, Praetor 600, about 6 h 20 min · 4 pax
A day by the northern lakes with the car from Astana, then the same crew flew the family on a light jet to Almaty. The Civil Aviation Committee was asked in advance whether the domestic leg could be flown by the foreign-registered aircraft.
ATYRAU · A FIELD VISIT
Three engineers and a site inspection
Glasgow - Atyrau, Praetor 600, about 5 h 15 min · 3 pax
The group arrived at the Caspian oil city, cleared customs there and drove to the site the next morning, with the return booked for the third evening. The handler's desk arranged the crew accommodation.
WITH THE DOG · BLOOD TEST FIRST
A couple and a labrador on a ten-day stay
Biggin Hill - Astana, Praetor 600, about 6 h 20 min · 2 pax + dog
The rabies blood test was taken in Britain more than three months before the flight home, the vet certificate was issued inside its ten-day window, and a vet in Astana gave the tapeworm treatment the day before departure.
EMPTY LEG · AFTER THE FORUM
A flexible return to London
Almaty - London Luton, Praetor 600 empty leg, about 7 h 20 min · 4 pax
The client gave us a window of three days instead of a date, which is what makes these work, and paid about £20,950, a little under half of a fresh one-way charter on the same sector, for a Wednesday departure.
Frequently asked questions about flying to Kazakhstan
1How long does it take to fly to Kazakhstan by private jet?
About 6 hours 20 minutes nonstop from Biggin Hill to Astana in a Praetor 600, and about 7 hours 20 minutes to Almaty. From Manchester to Astana the Praetor takes about 6 hours 20 minutes. Kazakhstan keeps one clock, five hours ahead of UTC, so it is four hours ahead of Britain in summer and five hours ahead in winter.
2How much does a private jet to Kazakhstan cost?
From about £42,900 one way from Biggin Hill to Astana in a Praetor 600, nonstop. The same aircraft to Almaty is about £49,900. A short hop from Astana to Almaty starts from £7,950, and the turboprop from Astana to Kokshetau, for the Burabay lakes, from £3,100.
3Which airports do private jets use in Kazakhstan?
Astana and Almaty are the two main gateways, both with customs and immigration listed round the clock and executive handlers on site. Shymkent, Atyrau and Aktau are also listed with customs and immigration round the clock, while Turkistan, Kokshetau and Ust-Kamenogorsk are arranged case by case. Every flight needs a landing permit from the Civil Aviation Committee, requested at least three working days ahead.
4What are the visa, permit and customs rules for a private flight from Britain to Kazakhstan?
British citizens can stay up to 30 days without a visa, and the Foreign Office describes an electronic travel authorisation filed at least 72 hours before travel. The passport should be valid for 30 days after arrival with one blank page, a hotel or host registers the arrival within three working days, and cash above US$10,000 must be declared. The aircraft needs a landing permit, and the first landing must be at an international aerodrome with customs and immigration.
5Can I take my dog or cat on a private jet to Kazakhstan?
Yes, but plan it months ahead. Kazakhstan is not a listed country for return to Britain, so the animal needs a rabies blood test taken at least 30 days after the vaccination, a three-month wait from the sample date and a Great Britain pet health certificate, and a dog needs a tapeworm treatment 24 hours to 5 days before landing. For entry we plan to an ISO microchip, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days old and a vet certificate valid for 10 days, and we confirm the rules in writing before taking the booking.
6How early should I book a private jet to Kazakhstan?
As soon as the dates are known. The landing permit has to reach the Civil Aviation Committee at least three working days before the flight, and the electronic travel authorisation needs 72 hours, but weeks such as the Astana International Forum in May or June and the winter ski holidays are busier, and a booking made six to eight weeks ahead is simpler and cheaper than one made a fortnight before.