An airline from Kazakhstan is launching a 14+ hour Boeing 737 flight between the Czech Republic and China with a refueling stop in Kyrgyzstan… as one does.
In this post:
SCAT Airlines’ new Prague to Sanya via Bishkek flight
SCAT Airlines is launching an intriguing new route. For those not familiar, SCAT is the second largest airline in Kazakhstan, and it operates a fleet of just over 30 jets, consisting primarily of Boeing 737s.
As of December 21, 2025, the airline will launch once weekly flights between Prague, Czech Republic (PRG), and Sanya, China (SYX). The flight will have a refueling stop in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (BSZ), though funny enough, the way the airline published the route doesn’t show the stopover, so it appears nonstop at first glance.
The flight will operate on Sundays in both directions with the following schedule:
DV481 Sanya to Prague departing 8:05AM arriving 3:20PM
DV482 Prague to Sanya departing 4:50PM arriving 12:30PM (+1 day)
The airline will use a 213-seat all-economy Boeing 737 MAX 9 for the route. The 5,486-mile flight is blocked at 14hr15min westbound and 12hr40min eastbound. This is the world’s longest regularly scheduled one-stop Boeng 737 flight.
The stop in Bishkek is purely technical and to refuel, so everyone will be on the aircraft that whole time, and it breaks up each of the segments into being just under 3,000 miles. For those curious about how the flights will be staffed, SCAT also flies to both Prague and Sanya from Kazakstan, so I imagine the crews will be cycled onto these flights from those services.
Well that route definitely wasn’t on my bingo card!
I can totally see how there’s demand for a once weekly service like this. In particular, it’ll probably heavily have a Czech Republic point of sale, with people looking to travel to one of China’s popular tropical island destinations for warm weather.
While the flight is on sale to the public, I imagine many seats will be occupied by those booking affordable package holidays, which is ideal for these kinds of once weekly routes. So the service makes sense, there are just two things that make it surprising and noteworthy.
First, you wouldn’t necessarily expect an airline from Kazakstan to operate a route between the European Union and China. I mean, why not Mongolian Airlines or Air Vanuatu, while we’re at it (okay, I know why not, but you get my point?).
Second, I don’t see any way that this isn’t the world’s least pleasant flight. We’re talking about a 12-14 hour journey in Boeing 737 MAX economy without Wi-Fi or seat back entertainment, and with tight pitch.
Recently, I called Boliviana de Aviacion’s new route between Santa Cruz de la Sierra (VVI) and Washington Dulles (IAD) via Panama City (PTY) with a Boeing 737 the most miserable in the world, as that’s blocked at 10+ hours in each direction. But that’s nothing compared to SCAT’s new route, which is two to four hours longer.
Bottom line
In December 2025, Kazakstan’s SCAT Airlines will launch a new route between Prague and Sanya, with a refueling stop in Bishkek. Not only is this service incredibly random (not the route as such, but the airline operating it), but this is also easily the most unpleasant flight out there, given that some passengers will spend over 14 hours on a Boeing 737 MAX. Yowzers.
What do you make of SCAT’s new route?
I wonder if "Delta" means "animal poop" in Kazakh?
Hi Ben, can you add property name/location descriptions to the pics? Sometimes you do but oftentimes you don't. I had to do a reverse search to find what that male/female (?) adult toys/teats (?) architectural design resort was: Phoenix Island Resort...averagely rated on Tripadvisor BTW.
With a name like that, I can see a new viral video, "two stops, one plane"
The jokes write themselves.
I'm wondering how a Kazakh airline has rights EU-China without transiting its home country,
I smell a review trip coming up!
Sanya, Hainan Island is a beauuutiful city that rivals places like the Gold Coast in Australia. My maternal ancestors were from there (centuries ago). They speak a Chinese dialect about 98% of the rest of the country thinks is gibberish.
And yes we did ask if anyone spoke Hainanese at the Hainan Airlines check-in desk in YYZ. Nope. Toronto has more speakers!
I actually think POS will be on the Sanya side. It's full of affluent retired Chinese boomers, who are really into taking tours in Central Europe. It...should actually work.
Serious question IDA, not a wind up …. ‘onest.
How old are your “Chinese boomers”? Surely they must only be in their 40’s or 50’s?
Retired...so 60-79? Lots of folks have moved south to Hainan after retiring. It's the same as Florida.
Thanks, it’s just that my understanding was that Chinese money was seriously ’new money’ and the beneficiaries are much younger too.
trip to central europe in winter from the chinese version of hawaii? no
What makes zero sense to me is to stop at Bishkek, just dozens of miles away from their base, Shymkent.
The rest makes more or less sense. And on this flight not being pleasant, it's not like anyone flies SCAT for it's service
I would imagine after 14 hours on a 737, even in first, a passenger would feel like "scat." An appropriate name for this airline.
The clue is in their name.
It’s not a bad airline though in my experience. Fairly friendly crew and you get meals. Prices are also usually on lower end
We finally found something that beats a Jet2 Holiday.
What the …. bitterproffit!
Jet2.com sits between United and American in the World Rankings …. therefore, they must be pleasing a lot of passengers a lot of the time, yes? …. :-)
Its an internet meme for when vacations go wrong. :)
Roger that bitterproffit, thanks …. :-)
Can’t wait for Noel Phillips review !!!!!
I'm waiting for the announcement that Southwest is partnering with them.
Flown Scat a few times from to and from Moscow. Don’t even get started with the food, pasta with just oil as flavor and 3-4 tiny steamed chicken cubes, alongside a small bowl of the driest brownie cake and a bottle of salad that comprises of a cherry tomato with two slices of cucumber. If that sounds appetizing, imagine this in this route!!!
That all said, crew are lovely. The young ones are very friendly and nice and shy. They don’t meet English speakers often
Food sounds like the one I got the one time I flew Aeroflot, except you got lucky and had tomatoes.
The whole platter (salad and dessert included) had the same grey-white color and tasted like cardboard.
“Ski-bi dibby dib yo da dub dub…”
“…I’m the SCATman”
No worse than a Qatar Airways all economy 236 seats 321neo
Yes, but they fly those for 3 hours max (Peshawar I'm Pakistan is the longest flight I think).
14 hours is a whole different ball game, plus two pressurisation cycles without he ability to breathe fresh air...
Word on the street is that Scat and Felch will be starting an alliance.
Ben, Bishkek airport actually has a new code: BSZ! I believe the change from FRU coincided with the opening of a new airport.
@ Zach -- I had no clue, thanks for the heads up! All the more reason I need to finally visit!
…. Masochist or brave man, that is the question? …. :-)
The airline's name seems to sum up this route's comfort pretty accurately
No s**t!
*ba dum tsa*
…. one can imagine that Ben, will give this airline review a quick body swerve if he has any sense!
Scat Airlines!