Report, photos copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
For the first time in Kazakhstan's civil aviation history, SCAT Airlines is launching its new international route from Shymkent to Singapore with a stopover in Sanya, and the first flight to Changi, the ceremonial flight, will depart on 20 October 2026.
On 20 October 2026, according to schedules, SCAT Airlines flight DV777 departs from Shymkent for Singapore Changi Airport (Changi, in short) via Sanya at 6 am, stops over in Sanya at 3 pm before taking off from Sanya for Changi at 4.30 pm and touching down in Changi at 8 pm.
Later at 9 pm of 20 October 2026, flight DV778 leaves Changi for Shymkent via Sanya, stops over in Sanya at 12.05 am of 21 October 2026 after 3 hours 5 minutes before leaving Sanya for Shymkent at 4 am and landing in Shymkent at 8.30 am local time, a journey of 7 hours 30 minutes.
During the first week of the flight launch, SCAT Airlines flies to Changi via Sanya on Tuesday and Saturday and lands in Sanya and Shymkent on Wednesday and Sunday.
From 29 October 2026 onwards until further notice, flight DV777 flies regularly to Changi via Sanya on Thursdays and Saturdays.
On Thursdays, flight DV777 leaves Shymkent for Sanya at 6.40 am, stops over in Sanya at 3.40 pm before taking off from Sanya for Changi at 6.30 pm and arriving in Changi at 9.30 pm. Later, flight DV778 departs from Changi for Shymkent via Sanya at 11 pm, stops over in Sanya at 2 am on Fridays before leaving Sanya for Shymkent at 5 am and arriving in Shymkent at 9 am local time.
On Saturdays, flight DV777 is scheduled to take off from Shymkent for Sanya at 11.30 am, land in Sanya at 8.30 pm before departing from Sanya for Changi at 11.30 pm and touching down in Changi on Sundays at 2.30 am. Later, flight DV778 leaves Changi for Shymkent via Sanya at 4 am, lands in Sanya at 7 am before proceeding on the return journey to Shymkent at 10 am and landing in Shymkent at 2 pm local time.
SCAT Airlines flies to Changi with its Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
Singapore is interesting as a standalone destination and Changi is one of Southeast Asia's largest aviation hubs. From here, travellers can easily continue their journeys across Southeast Asia or combine itineraries around several countries.
SCAT's new flight opens up not just another city, but a whole new geography for travellers from Kazakhstan.
The Shymkent-Sanya flight will take approximately 6.5 hours. In Sanya, passengers will enjoy a convenient transit of approximately 2 hours. Passengers will remain in the airport's sterile area and continue their journey without passport control in China.
Flight time from Sanya to Singapore will be approximately 3 hours.
Meals are provided on both legs of the route
After departure from Shymkent, passengers will be offered a full hot meal, and on the Sanya-Singapore leg, a light lunch with sandwiches.
This convenient transit format allows passengers to continue their journey to Singapore within the same SCAT route, without any additional formalities during the stopover in Sanya.
Tickets for the new Shymkent=Sanya=Singapore routes are now on sale.
Tickets can be purchased on the official website scat.kz, as well as through other online services and ticket sales systems.
For those who prefer a packaged trip, travel packages are available – they can be purchased at travel agencies or on sundayairlines.kz.
A route backed by extensive international work
The launch of the new route from Shymkent to Changi with the stopover in Sanya is the result of extensive collaboration between SCAT Airlines, the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Civil Aviation Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Government of China, the Ministry of Tourism of China, and the aviation authorities of Kazakhstan, China and Singapore.
The joint work of aviation and government agencies from several countries made it possible to launch the new route and open another exciting Asian destination for passengers from Kazakhstan.
For SCAT, the launch of the Shymkent-Singapore route continues the consistent expansion of its international route network and the development of its Asian route from Shymkent.
For Sanya Phoenix Airport, the flight to Changi is the airport's second fifth-freedom flight to Singapore after Cambodia Airways' Techo-Sanya-Changi flight service.
Fifth new foreign airline to start service to Changi
For Changi Airport, SCAT Airlines is the fifth new flight operator in 2026 after Shanghai Airlines, Air Borneo, Sun Phuquoc Airways and 9air and the first airline from Central Asia to connect with Singapore after Uzbekistan Airways exited the Singapore travel market in 2019.
