Air Astana has taken a major step toward long-term fleet expansion with its announcement of a Memorandum of Understanding to acquire up to 50 Airbus A320neo family aircraft. The agreement, revealed as Kazakhstan’s largest airline group continues modernizing its operations, includes 25 firm aircraft and 25 purchase options, positioning the order as the largest in the carrier’s history once finalized.
Air Astana has announced that Peter Foster, its long-serving Chief Executive Officer, will retire from the position and from the company’s Board of Directors at the end of March 2026. Following his retirement, Foster will continue to contribute to the airline’s future as Senior Advisor to the Board of Directors, maintaining a strategic connection with the group he helped transform into one…
Air Astana Group has unveiled a broad expansion of its Middle East and Asian route networks for the autumn 2025 season, underscoring its dual-brand strategy through Air Astana and its low-cost subsidiary FlyArystan. The move combines new routes, resumed services, and frequency increases from multiple hubs across Kazakhstan.
Adilbek Umraliyev has officially been appointed as the new Chairman of the Management Board of Vietjet Qazaqstan, the rebranded successor of Kazakhstan’s Qazaq Air. His appointment comes as part of the airline’s restructuring and rebranding following the acquisition of a controlling stake by Aviation Holdings, a subsidiary of Sovico Group, parent of Vietjet.
Air India, India’s leading global airline, and Air Astana, the flag carrier of Kazakhstan, have signed a new codeshare partnership designed to strengthen connectivity between the two countries and beyond. Building on their interline agreement from earlier in 2025, the two carriers are now moving to a deeper level of cooperation that will allow more seamless travel options…
SCAT Airlines, Kazakhstan’s second-largest carrier, is exploring expansion of its spare parts warehouse network into Southeast Asia as part of its long-term maintenance and logistics strategy. The airline’s Engineering and Aviation Service confirmed that potential sites under consideration include Cam Ranh, Vietnam, and Sanya, China, in addition to a new warehouse in Turkistan, Kazakhstan.
Air Astana and China Southern Airlines have entered into a strategic codeshare agreement to strengthen connectivity between Kazakhstan and China. Signed on 29 July 2025, the agreement enhances cooperation on trunk routes linking the two countries and provides passengers with expanded travel options across a growing network.
Air Astana, Kazakhstan’s flag carrier, is advancing preparations for its upcoming Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner fleet by building a dedicated reserve stock of General Electric GEnx-1B engines. The move highlights the airline’s proactive approach to ensuring operational stability and minimizing risks as it prepares for a major shift in its long-haul operations.
Kazakhstan is preparing to establish a national cargo airline in early 2026, according to an official announcement by Nurlan Zhakupov, Chairman of the Management Board of Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund. The initiative is part of a government directive aimed at strengthening Kazakhstan’s strategic position as a major air cargo hub in Central Asia.
SCAT Airlines has taken delivery of a new Boeing 737 MAX 8, further strengthening its growing fleet of next-generation narrowbody aircraft. The newly delivered aircraft, bearing manufacturer serial number 61827 and registered locally as UP-B3743, landed at Shymkent International Airport on July 23, 2025, following a delivery route from Seattle, with an intermediate stop in Reykjavik, Iceland.
