Almaty airport open again following civil unrest

Update, Jan 14 – 12:00z

UAAA/Almaty airport has reopened following the recent riots. But the a state of emergency will remain in place until at least Jan 19 – carefully consider security if planning crew overnights here. Until Jan 19, the airport is only open between 0800-2100 local (0200-1500z), as per Notam A0032/22.
Report from OPSGROUP member on the ground: “We have been in Almaty since Jan 12th. The city is safe with no security issues at his time. Restaurants and hotels are open. Internet and cell service is back to normal as well. Fuel may still be an issue as Kazakhstan was experiencing Jet Fuel shortages before the riots. Check with your handler before landing to confirm uplift.”

Update, Jan 12 – 12:00z

Police and military report that civil unrest has been brought under control, including in the city Almaty.
Troops from Russia and other countries have secured UAAA/Almaty airport. Kazakh government authorities issued a statement on Jan 12 saying that the airport will resume operations on January 13. “Starting January 13, 2022, the international airport of Almaty will resume operation. According to the preliminary information provided by the airport’s management, domestic and international flights will be performed from 8:00 am (5:00 am Moscow time) to 9:00 pm (6:00 pm Moscow time),” the report said.
Other Kazakhstan airports remain open and operational. UACC/Nursultan airport is open with several scheduled services operating in. A flight dispatch report suggests the airport is secure but telephone contact may be difficult if contacting from abroad.

UAAA/Almaty airport had been closed since Jan 2, following mass riots in many cities across the country. Thousands of people were injured, and the number of casualties remains unknown. On Jan 5, the President declared a state of emergency until at least Jan 19. There were also curfews put in place across Almaty city, from 8pm to 7am. The US Embassy raised the Travel Advisory for Kazakhstan recently to reflect level 4, “Do Not Travel” due to civil unrest.

Overflights

No Notams have been issued indicating that overflights are affected. Keep a close eye on things if operating in the region. It may also be worth familiarising yourself with TIBA contingency procedures.

One other thing: Fuel

We have previously reported on rumours of fuel issues across Kazakhstan – particularly for GA flights operating to UAAA/Almaty, UACC/Nur-Sultan and UAKK/Karaganda. Initially agents at airports advised this was not the case, but later informed us that fuel was only available to airline flights and locally registered charter operators. Foreign registered non-scheduled flights would be unable to uplift fuel. The official word is that you need prior permission from airport authorities to take any on.

Almaty airport open again following civil unrest