Dubai-based low-cost carrier had cancelled flights till January 8
Budget carrier flydubai has cancelled flights to Almaty in Kazakhstan till Saturday, January 8, after violent protests rocked the Central Asian country and the government declared a state of emergency in the country’s largest city.
Protests continued across Almaty on Thursday, sparked by a fuel price rise, resulting in the death of eight people earlier this week. Police clashed with the protesters again on Thursday after they tried to storm their offices. A police official said on Thursday that dozens of people were killed in attacks on government buildings.
Kazakhstan president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Wednesday accepted the government's resignation after the violent protests.
A flydubai spokesperson said: “Flydubai flights FZ 737/8 and FZ 1721/2 between Dubai and Almaty have been cancelled until January 8, 2022, due to the situation on the ground in Almaty in Kazakhstan.”
The Dubai-based low-cost carrier had cancelled flights on January 5 and 6 also due to the volatile political situation in the Central Asian country.
The spokesperson said flights to Nur-Sultan are operating and updates will be available on flydubai.com. “We continue to monitor the situation and assess our flying schedule.”
ALSO READ:
The UAE Embassy in Kazakhstan on Thursday issued an advisory to its citizens, asking them to avoid public gatherings. The citizens also are requested to contact the emergency number: +97180024.
Kuwaiti budget carrier Jazeera Airways also suspended flights to Almaty on Wednesday. “We will provide an update on our operations when we have further information,” a Jazeera Airways spokesperson said.
-waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com
Waheed Abbas is Assistant Editor, covering real estate, aviation and other business stories that directly affect the lives of UAE consumers. He frequently reports human interest stories, too.