Kazakhstan, Luxembourg triple air freight services to 21 flights per week

ASTANA. June 29 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan and Luxembourg have signed a memorandum on air services to boost air cargo transportation, the press-service of Kazakh Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development said.

Kazakh Minister of Industry Marat Karabayev and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn signed the document at the Astana International Airport at an event held to mark the 77th flight by the Cargolux airline.

"The charter flights now have become scheduled flights. Earlier there were seven flights a week from Luxembourg, while now according to the signed memorandum, their number has increased to 21 flights a week. Luxembourg is the third country after France and Finland, with which we signed the agreement that allows for the fifth freedom rights within the open-skies policy," Karabayev was quoted as saying.

Cargolux made its maiden flight to Astana on May 1 and now the airline operates seven flights a week, linking Luxembourg and the cities in China and Japan through Astana Airport.

Within the framework of the intergovernmental agreement, the number of scheduled cargo flights is expected to increase to 42 per week in both directions.

The Civil Aviation Committee did not specify whether any Kazakh airline would be involved in the air freight services.

Cargolux is Europe's biggest all-cargo airline with a fleet of 30 modern Boeing 747 freighters with offices in over 50 countries.