Flights to Almaty
Which airport to land at, how far each is from the centre, and where the routes go. Live fares are booked here.
Almaty is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Almaty International Airport (ALA), 16 km (10 mi) from the centre, whose 14,764-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Issyk-Kul International Airport (IKU, 76 km).
| Airport | Code | From centre | Longest runway | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almaty International Airport | ALA | 16 km (10 mi) | 14,764 ft | 2,234 ft |
| Issyk-Kul International Airport | IKU | 76 km (47 mi) | 12,467 ft | 5,425 ft |
Runway length is a practical tell: at 14,764 ft, ALA can take the largest long-haul aircraft, so direct intercontinental flights are physically possible here. The airport sits at 2,234 ft; that is low enough that altitude never restricts departures.
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Routes to and from Almaty
Straight-line distance and an estimated block time for the city pairs people search for most. Each opens a page with both ends’ airports, the time-zone shift and what changes on arrival.
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Almaty to Lahore | Pakistan | 1,320 km (820 mi) | about 2 h 27 min |
| Almaty to Peshawar | Pakistan | 1,127 km (700 mi) | about 2 h 12 min |
| Almaty to Kabul | Afghanistan | 1,178 km (732 mi) | about 2 h 16 min |
| Almaty to Ürümqi | China | 863 km (536 mi) | about 1 h 51 min |
| Almaty to Faisalabad | Pakistan | 1,358 km (844 mi) | about 2 h 29 min |
| Almaty to Rawalpindi | Pakistan | 1,125 km (699 mi) | about 2 h 12 min |
| Almaty to Gujranwala | Pakistan | 1,257 km (781 mi) | about 2 h 22 min |
| Almaty to Tashkent | Uzbekistan | 670 km (417 mi) | about 1 h 37 min |
| Almaty to Ludhiana | India | 1,375 km (855 mi) | about 2 h 31 min |
| Almaty to Novosibirsk | Russia | 1,379 km (857 mi) | about 2 h 31 min |
| Almaty to Astana | Kazakhstan | 973 km (604 mi) | about 2 h |
| Almaty to Bannu | Pakistan | 1,267 km (787 mi) | about 2 h 22 min |
| Almaty to Srinagar | India | 1,035 km (643 mi) | about 2 h 5 min |
| Almaty to Shymkent | Kazakhstan | 606 km (376 mi) | about 1 h 32 min |
| Almaty to Omsk | Russia | 1,330 km (827 mi) | about 2 h 27 min |
| Almaty to Amritsar | India | 1,306 km (811 mi) | about 2 h 25 min |
| Almaty to Sargodha | Pakistan | 1,296 km (805 mi) | about 2 h 25 min |
| Almaty to Chandigarh | India | 1,392 km (865 mi) | about 2 h 32 min |
| Almaty to Sialkot | Pakistan | 1,214 km (755 mi) | about 2 h 18 min |
| Almaty to Bishkek | Kyrgyzstan | 193 km (120 mi) | about 1 h |
| Almaty to Jalandhar | India | 1,331 km (827 mi) | about 2 h 27 min |
| Almaty to Andijon | Uzbekistan | 466 km (290 mi) | about 1 h 21 min |
| Almaty to Shanghai | China | 4,109 km (2,554 mi) | about 6 h 1 min |
| Almaty to Chongqing | China | 3,035 km (1,886 mi) | about 4 h 38 min |
| Almaty to Chengdu | China | 2,771 km (1,722 mi) | about 4 h 18 min |
| Almaty to Beijing | China | 3,275 km (2,035 mi) | about 4 h 57 min |
| Almaty to Istanbul | Turkey | 3,908 km (2,428 mi) | about 5 h 46 min |
| Almaty to Tianjin | China | 3,367 km (2,092 mi) | about 5 h 4 min |
| Almaty to Wuhan | China | 3,570 km (2,218 mi) | about 5 h 20 min |
| Almaty to Xi’an | China | 2,929 km (1,820 mi) | about 4 h 30 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Common questions
Which airport should I fly into for Almaty?
Almaty International Airport (ALA) is the closest large airport at 16 km (10 mi). The others, IKU, are further out and worth it only when the fare or the airline makes them so.
How far is ALA from Almaty city centre?
16 km (10 mi) in a straight line; the road or rail distance is somewhat longer.
Can I book flights to Almaty on this site?
Very soon: our airline partner is switching live fares on for this site. Hotels can be booked now.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.