Sky Bishkek (Bishkek) has become the first carrier to resume flights from Bishkek to Naryn, a city in the Naryn oblast of Kyrgyzstan, after all regular flights to the remote mountainous region ceased in 1997. The new service, launched on July 16, operates once weekly using a Saab 340A. The Aga Khan Development Network began renovating Naryn Airport in April 2012 with works including extending runway 08/26, installing new navigational aides and repairing the terminal building built during early Soviet times. In the long term, the Kyrgyz Government plans to open up the airport to international flights as a means of boosting investment in the region.