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🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan /Economy & Trade

Can flights from Kyrgyzstan to USA be launched? Aviation Chief explains

From 24.kg · () Russian

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Kyrgyzstan must pass a special audit by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to launch flights to the United States.
  • The audit requires specific infrastructure, security standards, and staff training that meet U.S. regulations.
  • While Kyrgyzstan was recently removed from the EU aviation blacklist, launching direct flights to the U.S. faces significant logistical and financial hurdles.

Launching direct flights from Kyrgyzstan to the United States hinges on the nation successfully passing a rigorous audit by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), according to Daniyar Bostonov, Director of the State Civil Aviation Agency.

Any country that wants to operate flights to the United States must undergo an audit by the Federal Aviation Administration. In addition, they have a separate aviation security service that we must also be audited by.

— Daniyar BostonovExplaining the requirements for launching flights from Kyrgyzstan to the U.S.

Bostonov explained that any country seeking to operate flights to the U.S. must undergo this special audit, which includes scrutiny by a separate U.S. aviation security service. Compliance demands specialized infrastructure, such as dedicated gates and equipment built to U.S. standards, covering everything from baggage screening to hand luggage checks. Furthermore, staff must receive training exclusively from certified centers.

For this, special infrastructure is required, a dedicated gate and equipment built to their standards, not European or other international standards.

— Daniyar BostonovDetailing the infrastructure demands for U.S. flight compliance.

He noted the complexity of these requirements, adding that aircraft capable of non-stop flights are also necessary. While flights with stopovers are a possibility, they reduce profitability and increase ticket prices. Currently, only Tashkent, Uzbekistan, among neighboring countries, operates flights to New York. Bostonov mentioned ongoing efforts to establish routes to Budapest and Berlin, working with EU partners, but emphasized that profitability, aircraft availability, and passenger flow are key considerations.

With stopovers, we can also consider it, but profitability decreases immediately and ticket prices increase.

— Daniyar BostonovDiscussing the economic implications of flights with layovers.

Despite these challenges, Kyrgyzstan's aviation sector has seen progress. The country was removed from the EU aviation blacklist for the first time in two decades, enabling national carriers to fly to Europe. Bostonov indicated that while regulatory approvals might take about a week, the feasibility studies and analyses by airlines require considerably more time.

From our side, regarding regulatory approvals, issuance would take about a week. But feasibility studies and analysis by airlines take much longer.

— Daniyar BostonovComparing the timeline for regulatory approvals versus airline assessments.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by 24.kg. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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