CSMIA extends its list of destinations to Russia and Kazakhstan

~Connectivity to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will increase from 3 times a week to 18 times a week in Summer 2020~ 

~Route caters to young travellers looking for leisure as well as the bleisure travellers who are ready to explore the destination beyond trade ~ 

Mumbai, February 24, 2020: GVK-led Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) announces the introduction of new routes between Mumbai and destinations in Russia and Kazakhstan, also known as Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Operated by airlines like Aeroflot, Air Astana and Ural Air, CSMIA is not only providing passengers with the opportunity to explore the majestic landscape of Russia, the bold futuristic architecture of Kazakhstan amongst others, but also boosting trade relations between India and the CIS. The introduction of new flights to the CIS region will see an increase in flights from 3 times a week to 18 times a week in Summer 2020.

A highly attractive hub for bleisure travel, CIS countries offer a wide range of experiences for tourists.  Currently, CSMIA connects to the CIS state of Uzbekistan through Tashkent – the capital and largest city in the country with 03 flights per week. With a diverse cultural heritage, Tashkent offers an array of art across its architecture and infrastructure and insights into its rich history with monumental structures like The Registan, the ancient city of Khujand and Samarkand as well as the beautiful bazaars.

Fostering accessibility and increasing connectivity to the region, CSMIA will soon see the introduction of new flights to the state of Russia and Kazakhstan.  Kazakhstan is the world’s ninth biggest country offering greatest travel adventures, abundant wildlife and homespun hospitality. On the other hand, the CIS state - Russia is a perfect tourist destination universally known for its historical and architectural monuments. It is a popular hometown to some of the famous gardens, museums, and cathedrals, an ideal holiday destination for art and architecture lovers.

CIS Country	City	Airline	Date	Frequency
Russia	Moscow	Aeroflot Airline	Jul 01, 2020	Daily from Jul 02, 2020.
	Moscow	Ural Air	Mar 31, 2020	4 times per week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday)
Kazakhstan	Almaty	Air Astana	Jun 01, 2020	4 times per week (Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Sunday)
Uzbekistan	Tashkent	Uzbekistan Airways	Operational	3 times per week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday)

India shares a unique and special trade relation with the CIS countries since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Over the years, India has seen a steady growth in exports to the region from approximately 2.4 million USD in FY2016 to 3.5 million USD in FY2019, as per a study by Statista, with sectors like food and agribusiness, pharmaceuticals & healthcare, telecommunications, textiles and energy amongst others having high potential for future trade opportunities. With the growing trend of travel to lesser-known destinations, CSMIA has also observed a growth in passenger traffic to the CIS countries.

One of the busiest airports in the world, CSMIA caters to over 48.8 million passengers and connects to 50 destinations across India and the world. The airport delivers a unique and luxurious experience for every traveller through its various first-of-its kind services and facilities such as an end-to-end guest relation service “Pranaam”, an immersive experience of India’s largest public art initiative the ‘Jaya He’ museum inside the airport to name a few, making it the preferred choice of passengers across India. The airport is also the first in the country to launch interactive sessions with furry friends and salon services inside an airport to rejuvenate themselves and a unique order ahead food technology where passengers can order food as soon as they enter the airport and have it delivered to them at the boarding gates

Through its varied services, CSMIA is promoting easy access and connectivity to travellers from Mumbai and its adjacent cities like Pune, Ahmedabad, Nashik, Nagpur, Kochi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, to name a few. Through the introduction of these new international routes, CSMIA is sure to broaden trade relations as well as leisure capacities benefitting the countries as well as the young travellers.