Dubai-based airline flydubai has cancelled flights to Kazakhstan capital Almaty till Saturday, January 8 after violent protests erupted in the Central Asian country following which a state of emergency has been declared to try to bring the violence under control.
The flights will continue to operate for Nur-Sultan and the details will be available on flydubai.com. The spokesperson in a statement said, "We continue to monitor the situation and assess our flying schedule," reported Khaleej Times.
On January 5, protesters reportedly stormed the airport in Kazakhstan's biggest city, Almaty and forcibly entered government buildings. In anger the protestors set fire to the city's main administration office, local media said, as per CNN News.
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 flight carrier had also cancelled flights on January 5 or 6 due to the tense political situation in Kazakhstan.
In light of the brewing tension, 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, reported Khaleej Times.
In a run-up to the political unrest in the Central Asian country, 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.
Meanwhile, Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) forces will be dispatched to Kazakhstan for a limited period of time and will guard state and military facilities and assist local law enforcement, the secretariat of the organization said on Thursday.
"In accordance with the decision made by the CSTO Collective Security Council on January 6, 2022, Collective Peacekeeping Forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization were sent to Kazakhstan for a limited period of time to stabilize and normalize the situation," the CSTO secretariat added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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