Almaty is rapidly gaining importance as an international hub. British Airways flies direct from London to Almaty twice a week. There are no direct flights from the USA or Australia. Further connections are offered by CAAC and Aeroflot from Almaty to Urumchi in China, from where there are connections to Beijing. New direct routes from Almaty to Tehran, Delhi and Tel Aviv are planned.
Taxis are also available at the airport for transport into the city centre.
Airport facilities include car rental, duty-free shops, restaurant and post office. Freight is carried on the Caspian Sea to Russia and Iran. There are international rail connections with the Russian Federation, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and China. The Tashkent-Novosibirsk express passes through Almaty each day in both directions. The lines from Almaty in the north connect with the Trans-Siberian Railway running west to Chimkent and finally to Orenburg in the Russian Federation.