Kyrgyzstan bans airline overbooking

Kyrgyzstan has introduced a ban on overbooking by all airlines operating flights through the country’s airports, Kaktus.media reported.

Kyrgyzstan’s State Civil Aviation Agency introduced the measure to protect passengers’ rights and prevent situations in which ticket holders are denied seats.

Changes for passengers

Overbooking is the practice of selling more tickets than there are seats on an aircraft. Some airlines use this method on the assumption that a certain number of passengers will not show up for their flight. However, it can result in passengers with confirmed tickets being left at the airport, waiting for the next available flight or incurring additional expenses.

Airlines operating flights to, from and through Kyrgyzstan are now required to sell no more tickets than there are seats on the aircraft.

If the aircraft is replaced

The new rules also set out the procedure to be followed if an aircraft is replaced with one that has fewer seats.

In such cases, the carrier must offer passengers two options: either voluntarily accept the next available flight or receive a full refund. Any changes to the conditions of carriage may be made only with the passenger’s consent.

Overbooking in Kazakhstan

In January 2026, reporters asked Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev on the sidelines of the Mazhilis, the lower house of Kazakhstan’s parliament, whether overbooking was legal in Kazakhstan. At the time, the minister said reports of overbooking were not investigated and described the practice as common among airlines, adding that ticket prices would otherwise be higher.