Air China, China’s flag carrier, has launched scheduled passenger flights between Beijing and Bishkek, adding another direct link as Kyrgyzstan and China expand economic and transport ties.
According to OJSC Airports of Kyrgyzstan, the new Beijing-Bishkek-Beijing service will operate three times a week. Flights are scheduled for Mondays and Fridays, with an additional service on Sundays. Airbus A321 aircraft will operate the route.
The airport operator described the launch as a milestone for Kyrgyzstan’s civil aviation sector, saying the arrival of one of Asia’s largest airlines reflects the country’s growing appeal to international carriers and opens new opportunities for travel between Kyrgyzstan and China.
The inaugural flight coincided with the 17th meeting of the Kyrgyz-Chinese Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, held in Bishkek on July 17.
The meeting was co-chaired by Erlist Akunbekov, Deputy Chairman of Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers, and Ling Ji, China’s Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy China International Trade Representative. Discussions covered trade and transport, including logistics. Energy and agriculture were also on the agenda, as were industry and finance.
Akunbekov said bilateral economic cooperation had entered a new phase, pointing to several major infrastructure projects.
“We have begun implementing large-scale projects such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. The third border crossing, Bedel, has opened, and construction has begun on the Barskoon-Bedel-Uchturfan-Aksu highway,” he said.
Construction of the Barskoon-Bedel highway began in August 2025. The road will form part of a future transport corridor linking Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul Region with Aksu Prefecture in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region via the Bedel Pass. Once completed, the route is expected to shorten the distance between Aksu and Kyrgyzstan by around 500 kilometers and reduce freight transit times by at least 12 hours.
The new Beijing route comes amid an expansion of air services between the two countries. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Aero Nomad Airlines will launch direct flights between Bishkek and Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, on August 3.
The new air services add to expanding road links and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project. Officials expect the additional connections to support trade and tourism while making business travel easier.
According to Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Liu Jiangping, bilateral trade reached a record $27.2 billion in 2025, up 20% from the previous year.