Air Astana posts net profit, outlines fleet plans

Air Astana announced it has carried over 60 million passengers and more than 280,000 tonnes of cargo and mail since its launch in 2002. By the end of the year, the airline expects to carry more than 7 million passengers, which is 12 percent more than in 2021. Net profit for 10 months in 2022 amounted to US$65 million, which is 84 percent higher than in same time previous year. Air Astana’s fleet expanded with the addition three Airbus A321LR aircraft in 2022, with the tenth Airbus A321LR being delivered directly from the manufacturer’s facility in Hamburg today. FlyArystan also increased its fleet by three Airbus A320neo aircraft and is expecting another Airbus A320neo before the end of the year. The group’s fleet now consists of 42 aircraft, with an average age of five years, making it one of the newest fleets in the world. The Air Astana Group’s fleet is expected to grow by an additional six aircraft in 2023. Three new wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners are expected to be delivered from 2025, in accordance with an agreement with Air Lease Corporation signed earlier this year. Air Astana’s network consists of 42 routes (27 international and 15 domestic) and FlyArystan has 34 routes (eight international and 26 domestic). This year Air Astana launched new regular flights to Heraklion and Bodrum, and has resumed flights from Almaty to Bangkok and Beijing. FlyArystan launched flights from Aktau to Baku and Istanbul and has resumed Shymkent-Kutaisi, Aktau-Dubai and Shymkent-Dubai flights. Next year, Air Astana plans to open flights to Medina and Tel Aviv. Air Astana carried out its first C2-checks on two Airbus A320 aircraft operated by FlyArystan. The airline also received the prestigious Skytrax award for the 10th time in a row in the category “Best Airline of Central Asia and the CIS”, which proves our commitment to high quality standards. “Despite the global and local challenges, we have been able to strengthen our position in both the regional and international markets, creating a base for new achievements. We believe that delivery of advanced aircraft to our fleet, such as Airbus A321LR and Boeing 787, brings a bright future ahead for Air Astana. All of this would not be possible without the professionalism of our employees and customer support. Thank you for choosing us over last 20 years,” said Air Astana Group President and CEO Peter Foster. The airline will keep its focus on recruiting and crew training; the airline seeks pilots, flight attendants and engineers, training them from scratch at its own expense. A training centre equipped with a full-flight simulator and a rescue training simulator will be commissioned next year in Astana. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Kay Rolland at [email protected]