Air Astana (KC, Astana Nursultan Nazarbayev) will reconfigure its three passenger B767-300(ER)s into makeshift freighters as it moves ahead with the establishment of a cargo division. According to the Kazakh carrier, it will suspend widebody passenger operations given the removal of the B767s' seats and other passenger amenities.

It added in a statement said that the decision "results from a strong increase in the demand for regional freight transport in the recent months and a strategic review of Air Astana's overall fleet plans in the wake of the global health crisis".

The conversion of the Boeing widebodies will increase the airline's cargo capacity, supplementing its bellyhold services.

"Air Astana has rapidly met the immediate heightened demand for air freight by operating B767 passenger aircraft, but we must strictly enforce European Aviation Safety Agency weight and volume regulations regarding cargo placed on seats. Once we start operations with the converted semi-cargo B767 aircraft, we’ll be able to considerably increase the volume of transported goods and offer our customers more flexible conditions," Director of Freight Zhanna Shayakhmetova said.

The first of Air Astana's three B767s is already undergoing conversion at its in-house MRO facility at Almaty International airport.

According to the ch-aviation fleets module, the airline's three B767-300(ER)s are 6.5 years old and are, in fact, the youngest passenger B767s in service globally. Chief Executive Peter Foster told ch-aviation earlier this year that given the aircraft's young age, the airline was not planning on retiring them despite the pandemic-induced crisis.

All three units are owned by Air Astana. Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows that they were grounded between late March and April 20 but have been operating multiple domestic and international flights since then. P4-KEB (msn 42221) and P4-KEC (msn 42223) are currently at Almaty, while P4-KEA (msn 42220) is at Ekaterinburg.

Air Astana does not operate any dedicated freighters. It also does not currently have any other widebody passenger aircraft besides the B767s.