In 2024, Air Astana Group’s two airline brands carried nine million passengers, an increase of one million on 2023. Demand remains strong as the group progressively increases capacity across the Air Astana and Fly Arystan brands. Releasing its annual financials, total revenue and other income, excluding non-recurring items, increased by 12.4% to $1.3 billion. It aims to issue a special dividend. “We achieved strong growth in our first year as a public company, fulfilling our promises set out at IPO despite the capacity and cost challenges," said Peter Foster, CEO of Air Astana Group. "Entering the new financial year, we are well positioned to deliver growth across both our brands."

The Air Astana Group fleet has achieved a new milestone, growing to 60 aircraft. It follows the arrival of a new Airbus A320neo in Almaty Full-service carrier Air Astana now has a fleet of 35 aircraft, while low-cost carrier FlyArystan operates 25 jets. Both carriers in the Group have grown rapidly with an increasing number of the latest generation Airbus A321LR and Airbus A320neo aircraft. FlyArystan continues to grow its low-cost network throughout Kazakhstan and Central Asia, together with an increasing number of longer-range flights to Georgia, China and the Middle East. “Expanding our fleet to 60 aircraft is a significant milestone for Air Astana Group and an important step towards accomplishing our strategic plans,” said group CEO Peter Foster. “We will continue to invest in modern aircraft and expand our route network, offering passengers even more opportunities for affordable travel both within the region and beyond”. The Air Astana Group is targeting a total of 80 aircraft by 2028.  

Air Astana has become first carrier in Central Asia and the CIS to participate in the International Air Transport Association (IATA) CO2 Connect initiative. The CO2 Connect project aims to measure emissions by logging accurate, route-specific data based on operational information from airlines. Air Astana has joined 50 other airlines already participating in IATA CO2 Connect, The airline will provide actual operational data to enhance the accuracy of CO2 emissions calculations to help achieve Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050. “Aviation’s future relies on collective efforts to address climate challenges. As a member of IATA CO2 Connect, we are proud to collaborate with global airlines,” said Peter Foster, CEO of Air Astana. Air Astana’s participation in IATA CO2 Connect is part of the airline’s commitment for environmental progress in aviation regionally and globally.

Air Astana is adding a new Mumbai route this spring as it celebrates 20 years of connecting Kazakhstan and India. New Almaty-Mumbai flights start on 20 April 2025. Since entering the Indian market in 2004, the airline has steadily expanded its presence and now operates nine weekly flights to Delhi from Almaty, with an increase in frequencies during the summer. Mumbai flights will be operated on Airbus family aircraft three times a week on Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Economy class return fares including taxes start at $406. “With the Indian economy growing strongly, Air Astana is delighted to launch services to Mumbai, a vibrant metropolis driven by trade, finance and enterprise,” said Peter Foster, CEO at Air Astana. As well as the home of the Bollywood film industry, Mumbai also offers a large number of tourist attractions such as the Gateway of India and the Elephanta Caves. Air Astana is the largest airline group in Central Asia and the Caucasus regions by revenue and fleet size, with 57 aircraft split between full-service Air Astana, and LCC FlyArystan.

Air Astana is expanding its China flight network with a new service from Almaty to Guangzhou kicking off on 30 March 2025.   Flights to Guangzhou will be operated using Airbus A321LR aircraft three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Economy class return fares including tax start at $531, and Business class fares return fares are from $1,561. “China has always been a strategically important market for Air Astana, with strong business and leisure traffic growth since the first service more than 20 year ago,” said Peter Foster, CEO of Air Astana. “The launch of new China flights to Guangzhou represents a very significant step in expanding Air Astana’s network.” Guangzhou is the largest industrial centre in China, a global leader in textile industry and an important economic and cultural hub. The city is located 120 km northwest of Hong Kong. Air Astana currently operates seven weekly flights to Beijing from Almaty and Astana and four weekly flights to Urumqi from Almaty. Kazakhstan citizens can travel in China for up to 30 days without a visa.  

For the spring-summer schedule, Air Astana will shift its flights to Phu Quoc with a new seasonal route to Nha Trang, Vietnam. Direct flights to Phu Quoc will be operated during the autumn-winter schedule. Service from Almaty to Nha Trang will start on 30 March 2025 with flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Flights from Astana will start on 31 March 2025, operating on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The nearest airport to the resort is located in Cam Ranh. The flights will be operated on Airbus A321LR aircraft. Flight time is approximately eight hours from Almaty and 8 hours 40 minutes from Astana. Reservations are now open on the Air Astana website (airastana.com). Round-trip fares in economy class, including all fees, start from US$750 from Almaty and from US$850 from Astana. Business-class fares start from US$1,975. Nha Trang is known for its wide beaches, diving, and picturesque nearby islands. Key attractions include the ancient Po Nagar Cham Towers and Long Son Pagoda, as well as modern highlights like the Vinpearl Land amusement park on Hon Tre Island, the National Kazakhstan citizens can enjoy visa-free travel to Vietnam for up to 30 days.

Kazakhstan’s flag carrier Air Astana has teamed up with Stellar Entertainment to enhance the inflight entertainment experience for passengers.   As Air Astana's Content Service Provider, Stellar Entertainment delivers IFE services, including content curation, licensing, encoding, metadata, and the KCTV inflight magazine. The content curation strategy is designed to showcase Kazakh cultural heritage to travellers from around the world. This includes Kazakh cinema, with a wide selection of movies, Russian dubbed content, and content adapted for passengers with hearing and visual impairments. Zhamilya Jaxybekova, IFE Manager from Air Astana said: “Through Stellar Entertainment’s extensive industry relationships, we can bring the stories and sounds of our country to a global audience, offering passengers an engaging and culturally rich journey onboard.” “This partnership reinforces our mission to be a cultural ambassador for Kazakhstan.” Sam Allen, Stellar Entertainment CEO, added: “Partnering with Air Astana is an incredible opportunity to combine our global expertise with a localised focus, celebrating the unique cultural heritage of Kazakhstan.” Air Astana is also tapping into Stellar’s expertise in audio programming with an extensive music library, refreshed monthly It will showcase the country’s vibrant musical talent

Air Astana is launching new three times a week Frankfurt flights from Almaty from 1 June 2025. Tickets are now on sale for the route which will be flown on Airbus A321LR aircraft. The new service complements existing Frankfurt flights from capital Astana and Uralsk in western Kazakhstan. Air Astana first launched direct flights to Germany more than 20 years ago. Flights timings are convenient for both point-to-point and transit passengers, with the flight from Almaty departing at 01:30 and arriving in Frankfurt at 06:55 and the return flight departing at 08:30 and arriving back in Almaty at 18:55. Round-trip economy class fare starts at US$550 all-in. Air Astana Group is the largest airline group in Central Asia and the Caucasus regions by revenue and fleet size. The Air Astana and FlyArystan low-cost brand operate a combined fleet of 57 aircraft.

Air Astana is gearing up for the launch of a new sunshine holiday destination from Astana. The airline will debut direct flights from Kazakhstan's capital to the resort island of Phu Quoc in Vietnam on 3 December 2024. The service will be operated on Airbus A321LR aircraft running three times a week on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Air Astana just recently launched direct Almaty-Phu Quoc flights on 28 October 2024. The new Ohu Quoc flights from Astana tale the total frequencies to Phu Quoc to eight flights a week. The schedule provides passengers with the flexibility to connect through both Kazakhstan hubs. Round-trip fares on the new route start from US$ 774 in economy class. Phu Quoc is a tropical island with pristine beaches and rainforests. Attractions include Vinpearl Safari, the Dinh Cau Night Market, and the Hon Thom cable car. Kazakhstan citizens can enjoy visa-free travel to Vietnam for up to 30 days.   

Related News Stories:  

Kazakh carrier Air Astana has rolled out its winter schedule, featuring a large number of new international services to the Middle East and Asia. New international services include the launch of  direct Dubai flights from Atyrau, operating twice a week, as well as the increase in the number of Dubai flights from Almaty to eleven times a week. The Astana to Dubai route increases to nine times a week. Air Astana has started operating flights from Astana to Abu Dhabi twice a week and launches flights from Almaty to Abu Dhabi twice a week starting in December. Air Astana is also expanding its network of services to Saudi Arabia at the end of October, with flights from Almaty to Medina twice a week in addition to existing twice a week services to Jeddah. In Asia, a new service from Astana to Phuket will operate three times a week, complementing the current eleven weekly flights from Almaty to Phuket, as well as daily flights from Almaty to Bangkok. Also new on the winter schedule is a service from Almaty to Phu Quoc in Vietnam, with five departures a week. Air Astana has also resumed seasonal flights to the Maldives. In China, the carrier will resume flights from Astana to Urumqi twice a week and will continue to operate flights from Almaty to Urumqi four times a week, as well as from Almaty to Beijing five times a week. In addition, Air Astana will increase the number of Seoul flights from Astana to three times a week, together with the existing five weekly flights from Almaty to Seoul. During the winter season, Air Astana will operate a total of 40 international and 13 domestic routes, including charter operations. Kazakhstan citizens can enjoy visa free travel to China, Vietnam, and Thailand. 

Related News Stories:  

Air Astana, in partnership with Airbus, is enhancing the efficiency of its long-haul flights. It plans to install additional fuel tanks on Airbus A321LR aircraft to enable longer non-stop flights over long-haul distances without the need for technical stopovers. Starting on 4 October 2024, the airline plans to resume non-stop flights on the Almaty to London route, which has been operating with a technical stop in Aktau since March 2022. With the new modifications, the route will become fully non-stop, reducing the overall flight time by 1.5 hours. At 9h 35m, this will make it one of the longest narrow body routes in the world. This is a key component the airline’s strategy to improve operational efficiency. 

Related News Stories:  Air Astana boosting China flights     Air Astana ramps up UAE flights     Air Astana adds Saudi Arabia flights     Air Astana restarting Seoul flights from Astana this summer     Air Astana - TravelMole     Air Astana - TravelMole     Air Astana launching Phu Quoc flights     Air Astana, JAL sign codeshare agreement     Air Astana takes delivery of 11th Airbus A321lr     Air Archives - Page 242 of 3111 - TravelMole    

Air Astana is launching direct scheduled flights from Shymkent, Kazakhstan to Jeddah, with a twice weekly service. This operates between 1 to 28 October 2024 and then one of the flights will be switched to a weekly service between Shymkent and Medina. A new twice weekly service from Almaty to Medina will also be launched on 29 October 2024. This is in addition to the existing Almaty to Jeddah service. All Saudi Arabia flights will be operated by Airbus A321LR aircraft configured with 16 business class seats and 150 economy class seats. The flight time from Shymkent to Jeddah and Shymkent to Medina will be around 5hours 35mins, whilst flight time from Almaty to Medina is 6hours 10mins. Kazakhstan nationals are required to obtain an e-visa before traveling to Saudi Arabia. Jeddah is Saudi Arabia’s second largest city and economic capital, with a wealth of attractions including King Fahd's Fountain, the ancient city of Al-Balad and Red Sea beaches. Jeddah is a one-hour high-speed train ride from Mecca. Medina is the second most important holy city for Muslims after Mecca. The city’s Prophet's Mosque is considered the second holiest site of Islam after the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca.   

Related News Stories:  Air Astana adds Phuket flights     Air Astana adds another Airbus A320neo to fleet     Air Astana - TravelMole     Air Astana agrees lease for more Airbus jets     Ryanair inks approved OTA partnership with Trip.com     Air Astana, JAL sign codeshare agreement     Ryanair adds more flights for England Euro 2024 game     MSC Weekly: Our Labor Day Sale Starts August 22. Download Your ...     Ryanair wins US screen scraping case against Booking.com     Qatar Airways restarts Lisbon flights