Air Astana announced:
Air Astanaโs first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, registered EI-KZA, has begun its factory flight testing program in Charleston, USA, where one of Boeingโs manufacturing facilities is located.
Air Astana JSC and Boeing have announced the Kazakhstan flag carrier will purchase up to 15 787 Dreamliners to grow and modernize its fleet. The agreement for additional 787-9 airplanes will enable Air Astana to expand its operations and enhance its passengers’ experience.
When the order is finalized and posted to Boeing’s Orders & Deliveries website, it will be Air Astana’s largest single airplane purchase and will support more than 20,000 jobs across the U.S. With three more 787-9 airplanes to be delivered via lessors, Air Astana’s 787 fleet will grow up to 18 787-9 airplanes to fuel its long-haul capabilities.
Air Astana currently operates three Boeing 767-300 widebody jets across a network that connects Kazakhstan with destinations in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The airline will leverage the ultra-efficient 787-9, which will seat 303 passengers, to grow capacity across its existing routes and enable expansion into North America and to replace the 767-300s.
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Air Astana made this announcement:
Air Astana Group experienced strong passenger growth in 2022, with 3.9 million passengers carried during the first seven months of the year, which represents a 9% increase over the same period in 2021.ย The network continued to expand with the resumption of flights to destinations including London and Istanbul, together with the launch of new services to Greece. In the coming months, frequencies to Dubai, Delhi and Phuket will be significantly increased and services to Bangkok will be resumed, which represents a significant step in re-building the Asian network.
With the future outlook continuing to be positive and the Group fully committed to expanding the fleet to 59 aircraft by 2025, it also recognises the need to commensurately develop capabilities in training and maintenance.
Air Astana Group fleet developments during the remainder of 2022 will see Air Astana take delivery of two more Airbus A321LR aircraft, bringing the total to 10, whilst the LCC division, FlyArystan will add three more Airbus A320neo aircraft, bringing the total fleet up to 4. Air Astana Group added 13 new aircraft between mid-2020 and March 2022, with a further 24 aircraft due to join the fleet by mid 2025. This fleet modernisation process will see some older aircraft being gradually replaced.
The Groupโs flight crew training capability will be significantly expanded with the opening of a new centre costing US$10 million in Nur-Sultan later this year. The training centre will be equipped with a first in the country full flight simulator, which will not only improve pilot training efficiency, but also help alleviate the need for expensive training outside Kazakhstan and save up to US$18 million over the next 10 years. The Group is also planning to expand its in-house maintenance capability at regional bases in the near future. These two developments ensure that Air Astana will remain a regional leader in terms of crew training and engineering services.
โAir Astana has rapidly recovered despite an unprecedented series operational challenges this year, with passenger traffic up 9% and seat capacity up marginally between January and July compared to the same period last year,โ said Peter Foster, President and CEO of Air Astana Group. โGiven the strong expectation of continued growth in both international and domestic markets in the future, it is now timely for the Group to be significantly expanding the fleet, together with investing in new pilot training and maintenance facilities, to achieve long-term goals.โ
Air Astana aircraft photo gallery:
Air Astana will launch flights to London from Almaty, with a stopover at Aktau in western Kazakhstan, on May 12, 2022. The service will be operated by Airbus A321LR aircraft on Thursdays and Saturdays. A convenient connecting domestic flight from Nur-Sultan will allow passengers from Kazakhstanโs capital to join the flight to London from Aktau.
Flight KC901 will depart Almaty at 10.45 and arrive in Aktau at 13.05, with onward flight from Aktau to London departing at 14.05 and arriving in London at 16.05. Return flight from London will depart at 18.05 and arrive in Aktau at 04.10 next day with departure from Aktau at 05.10 and arrival in Almaty at 09.00. All times are local.
PCR tests and vaccinations passports are not mandatory for entering the UK.
In addition, Air Astana will launch flights from Almaty to Bodrum in the southwestern Turkey on May 27. Services will operate on Tuesdays and Fridays using Airbus A321 aircraft.
Flight KC659 will depart Almaty at 08:30 and arrive in Bodrum at 11:50. The return flight will depart from Bodrum at 13.45 and arrive in Almaty at 22.05. All times are local.
Top Copyright Photo: Air Astana Airbus A321-271N WL P4-KDC (msn 7567) AYT (Ton Jochems). Image: 956428.
Air Astana aircraft slide show:
Air Astana aircraft photo gallery:
Air Astana has suspended all flights to Russia.
The reason is โdue the withdrawal of insurance coverage for commercial flights to, from and over the Russian Federationโ.
Bottom line: The carrier can no longer afford to fly to Russia.
Air Astana will restore the Nur-Sultan – London Heathrow route on March 12.
Air Astana has completely restored its route network and to 15 domestic and 30 international destinations.
The state of emergency in Kazakhstan affected the Air Astana Group operations, with 178 international and 621 domestic flights by Air Astana and FlyArystan being cancelled between January 5th and 12th, 2022.
Flights from Nur-Sultan and other regional Kazakh cities were resumed on January 7, 2022, with those from Almaty restarting on January 13, 2022.
Since the resumption of international flights, more than 7,500 passengers returned to their home countries, with scheduled flights to Istanbul, Antalya, Dubai, Sharjah, Kyiv, Moscow, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Saint-Petersburg, Frankfurt, Tashkent and Kutaisi, together with special repatriation flights from the Maldives, Phuket, Colombo, Antalya, Tbilisi, Baku and Goa.
Air Astana today resumed both international and domestic flights from Nur-Sultan Nazarbayev International Airport.
The first international flights departed to Dubai and Moscow.
Flights from Astana have not yet been restarted.
Security forces have quashed the protests.
More from the BBC:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59907235
Top Copyright Photo: Air Astana Airbus A321-271N WL P4-KDC (msn 7567) AYT (Ton Jochems). Image: 956428.
Air Astana aircraft slide show:
Air Astana aircraft photo gallery:
The airports serving Almaty, Aktobe and Aktau have suspended operations due to domestic unrest and protests in Kazakhstan.
Protesters seized Almaty Airport.
Websites for the airlines of Kazakhstan are currently not working.
More from the BBC:
Air Astana has announced it will resume the route linking Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana), the capital of Kazakhstan, with London Heathrow starting on September 18, 2021.
The route will be operated with Airbus A321LR aircraft.
The airline made this announcement:
Air Astana is ready to bring you to London for a business trip or study. We will perform this flight on the Airbus A321Neo LR twice a week from the city of Nur-Sultan from September 18.