In a further sign that Turkmenistan is opening back up to the world, more flight routes are to be reopened. The flag carrier of Turkmenistan, Turkmenistan Airlines, has announced a huge number of new flights, both reopening previous routes and adding more flights to existing routes. Most flights were cancelled in February and March 2020 due to the pandemic. It’s now been three years but finally things are returning to normal.
Recently the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdymukhamedov, declared in a broadcast speech that air links to the rest of the world should resume to the same frequency that existed before the Coronavirus pandemic. Thus we’re now seeing a concerted effort to expand flight options as the country moves closer to being fully open again.
Currently Turkmenistan Airlines operates flights to Istanbul, Moscow, Kazan (Russia), Frankfurt and Dubai.
Belavia flies the Minsk to Turkmenbashy route, flying from Minsk to Turkmenbashy on Tuesdays with the return leg from Turkmenbashy to Minsk on the Wednesday.
Turkish Airlines flies from Istanbul to both Ashgabat and Turkmenbashy.
Fly Dubai flies regularly between Dubai and Ashgabat.
New Flights and Changes
London
From 20 th March, Turkmenistan Airlines will start again operating flights between London Stansted and Ashgabat. The flight will be once per week. Previously Turkmenistan Airlines flew from London to Ashgabat until Feb 2019. It hasn’t been announced yet whether the Birmingham to Ashgabat route will recommence.
Beijing
From 19 th March, Turkmenistan Airlines will resume flights between Beijing and Ashgabat. The flights will be twice weekly. Flights will be on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Dubai
Flights to and from Dubai continued through COVID-19, however the schedule has changed. Starting from 31 st March, flights will be twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays. 17:00 on Mondays leaving Ashgabat, and 12:00 leaving Ashgabat on Fridays.
More flight routes are to be announced in the coming weeks.
