Air Astana was incorporated in late 2001. Its maiden flight was on 15th May 2002 from Almaty to Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.
The inaugural was attended by President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Sir Richard Evans, representing the two shareholders, the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and BAE Systems PLC of the UK.
These shareholders remain committed partners in the airline, with the Government holding a 51% share through its Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund, and BAE Systems PLC holding 49%.
Operating to the highest standards
The airline’s mission is the same today as in 2001: “to provide domestic and international air services to the highest standards of safety and service using modern generation aircraft in order to serve and complement the needs of Kazakhstan” (one of the world’s fastest-growing economies).
Air Astana is one of the airlines in Kazakhstan to maintain its fleet to audited EU EASA 145 standards. In 2011 it was admitted to the register of the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).
Growing the fleet
Today the airline operates a fleet of 26 western aircraft with an average age of 11 years for its aircraft, close to 50 domestic and international routes. Its passengers are served by 3,500 highly-qualified staff, the majority of whom are from Kazakhstan, supplemented by experienced foreign personnel. Since autumn 2005 the Air Astana team has been headed by Peter Foster, an airline executive with more than 25 years’ experience, who reports to the Board of Directors.
Air Astana recently placed an order for new Airbus 320 family aircraft, introduced the Embraer E190 for regional services in addition to the Boeing 757-200 and Boeing 767-300ER fleet and aims to grow its fleet to 34 aircraft by 2016, and to 43 aircraft by 2020. The airline is now recognized as a clear leader in the CIS region, as it continues to compliment its modern fleet with a large number of technical and service innovations designed to ensure that air travel to, from and within Kazakhstan is as reliable and convenient as possible.