Air Astana's Big Plans for NYC Flights - What's Next?

Looks like Air Astana is trying to kick off flights to New York by 2027. They just filed with the DOT to get things going, targeting Almaty and Astana as starting points. They're planning to use the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which is a sweet ride with better range and capacity than their older planes.

But there are still some big hurdles. Kazakhstan needs to get FAA Category 1 status first, and they haven't locked down which NY airport they'll use or how often they'll fly. Plus, the Russian airspace thing is a huge question mark. Can they get overflight rights, or will they have to take a longer route?

It's exciting, but a lot's up in the air (no pun intended). How do y'all think they'll handle the Russian airspace issue? Also curious if they'll run flights from both Kazakh airports or just focus on one. Anyone have thoughts on how this could play out?

The Russian airspace issue is a big one. If they can't get overflight rights, that'll add a lot of time and cost to the route. Maybe they'll have to reroute over the Middle East or Europe, which could make the flights less competitive. As for which NY airport, JFK seems like the best bet due to its international connections, but I guess it depends on slots and logistics. Wonder if they'll lean towards just one Kazakh airport to simplify things at first.

I think the Russian airspace situation is gonna be a tough nut to crack. With all the geopolitical tension, getting overflight rights might not be easy. If they can't, routing around could add hours to the flight, making it less attractive. As for the airports, I'd bet they'll start with Almaty. It's their main hub, and they probably want to consolidate their resources before expanding. But who knows, maybe they'll surprise us and kick off with both!

The Russian airspace issue is a real snag. If they can't fly over, it could turn a 12-hour flight into something much longer and pricier. I wonder if they'll consider a stopover somewhere to break up the trip and make it more feasible. As for which airport they'll use, JFK seems logical, but Newark could be a sleeper pick if they want less congestion. I'm curious about their strategy for that. Any thoughts on the airport choice?

I'm really curious about how they'll handle the airport choice in NYC. JFK is the obvious big player, but maybe Newark could offer some advantages, especially if slot availability at JFK becomes an issue. About the Russian airspace, yeah, that's a massive headache. If they can't fly over, I wonder if they'll look into using some of those new longer-range routes over the Arctic, though that could come with its own challenges. Either way, ambitious plans for sure!