Kazakhstan's Air Astana eyes US flights with Boeing support

Air Astana eyes E190-E2 phase-out, mulls A321XLRs

Air Astana (KC, Nur-Sultan Nazarbayev) is planning to retire its five E190-E2s in 2024-2025 as it expects to exit the regional jet market, Chief Executive Peter Foster told aviation journalist Kurt Hofmann.

The airline added its first E190-E2 in 2018, with the other four following in 2019, all of them on lease from Azorra Aviation. It remains the second-largest operator of the variant globally behind Helvetic Airways (2L, Zurich). They are used exclusively on domestic services out of Almaty and Nur-Sultan Nazarbayev.

Air Astana operated up to nine E190s between 2011 and 2020, the ch-aviation fleets history module shows. It does not have any other regional aircraft in its fleet or on order.

Foster also said that the airline was evaluating adding an additional centre tank (ACT) to its A321-200NX(LR)s. The carrier currently employs ten aircraft of the type, including on long-haul routes from Almaty to London Heathrow (via Aktau), Antalya, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Bodrum Milas, Istanbul Airport, Heraklion,...

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BAE Systems may exit Kazakhstan’s Air Astana in 1H24 IPO

British aerospace company and defence contractor BAe Systems, which holds a 49% stake in Air Astana (KC, Nur-Sultan Nazarbayev), may exit the Kazakh flag carrier’s capital altogether in an initial public offering (IPO) now scheduled for the first half of 2024, according to a high-ranking official at Kazakh sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna, which owns the other 51%.

Yernar Zhanadil, managing director for development and privatisation at the fund, said during the Astana Finance Days conference on June 7 that the IPO could take place on the two Kazakhstan exchanges - the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange in Almaty and Astana International Exchange in the capital - as well as in London, the local business news site Zakon reported.

The Air Astana shareholders are currently in talks with an “anchor investor” that could take over most of BAE Systems’ stake, he revealed.

“We are trying to find the right option, but for now we are tentatively planning to go public with Air Astana in 2024, because we believe that the volatility in international markets will settle down...

Editorial Comment: Quotes adjusted and Air Astana comment added - 13.06.2023 - 07:38 UTC