Amid a deteriorating security situation in Kazakhstan, protesters reportedly seized control of Almaty’s international airport. There were also reports “hijackers” had taken control of five aircraft, including planes belonging to foreign carriers. However, in a fast-moving environment, the latest reports say security forces have retaken control of the airport.
Mixed reports on Almaty Airport
Reuters was reporting all flights in and out of Almaty have been canceled. But the Russian news agency, TASS, says security forces have retaken control of the airport, and flights are resuming.
“Terrorist gangs are seizing large infrastructure facilities, in particular in the Almaty airport, five planes, including foreign planes,” said Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev earlier on Wednesday evening.
“The premises of the airport are cordoned off by the security forces, the outward and return flights are being carried out so far. There are a lot of security officials, no fights have been reported near the airport,” an unnamed source is telling TASS.
Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, and flydubai are among the foreign airlines that fly into the city. They confirm they are monitoring the situation.
The seizure of Almaty Airport follows the worst civil unrest in Kazakhstan in years and days of protests that have left several people dead and hundreds more injured.
Complaints about rising fuel prices behind the unrest
Protests began in western Kazakhstan after the cap on liquified petroleum gas (LPG) was lifted several days ago. The price of LPG doubled immediately. LPG is widely used to power vehicles in Kazakhstan, particularly in western parts of the country.
Within a matter of days, the unrest spread from western Kazakhstan to the country’s largest city. Over that time, the protests have grown to cover more than rising LPG prices. Reuters reports the Kazakhstan President has asked the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a military alliance of Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, for assistance.
There is conflicting information about what’s going on at Almaty’s international airport. However, an unnamed airport spokesperson is reported saying some 45 protesters took control of the airport. Airport employees and passengers were evacuated beforehand.
#Kazakhstan #Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan stated that "the participants in the Almaty riots received training abroad and the riots are an act of aggression." In addition, the president confirmed that the protesters boarded 5 planes and took over the #Almaty airport pic.twitter.com/yN2hvBW2y6
— kinsleyhub (@ukhub_uk) January 5, 2022
Three flights were confirmed as canceled
Among the flights canceled was an Aeroflot service from Moscow, a Jazeera Airway flight from Kuwait, and a Belavia flight from Minsk. The protestors reportedly left the airport around 01:00 local time. Online reports say the protesters boarded five aircraft before leaving. Footage posted on Twitter shows damage and vandalism in the airport terminal.
“Now there is no one at the airport. The light is off at the port. One airship with passengers stands on the platform,” a translation of a Telegram message posted online reads.
Further footage posted on Twitter reveals damaged vehicles in the airport carpark and the flight of Kazakhstani elite on private jets as the protests broke out in Almaty. Planespotters referenced the abnormally high number of private jets departing before the airport temporarily closed.
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