Air Astana, China Southern Airlines Sign First Kazakhstan-China Airline JV

06:13 AM EDT, 10/30/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Air Astana (AIRA.L) signed a joint venture agreement with China Southern Airlines, the first airline joint venture between Kazakhstan and China. Under the deal, the two carriers will coordinate flight schedules, expand codeshare services and carry out joint marketing initiatives, according to a Friday release. The agreement builds on the companies' existing codeshare partnership.