According to the Concept for the Development of the Transport and Logistics Potential of the Republic of Kazakhstan by 2030, the development of the country’s civil aviation industry should be conducted in three key areas: flight safety, route network development, and infrastructure modernization. So, how do things stand today in regard to fulfilling these tasks?

As previously reported by TCA, Uzbekistan has far surpassed Kazakhstan in direct air routes to key countries; from Tashkent, one can even fly to New York, which remains an elusive dream for Kazakhstanis. In 2011, Air Astana approached Boeing regarding the purchase of three 787 Dreamliner aircraft. However, when approached by TCA in August 2024, Air Astana stated that “since 2011, there have been several macroeconomic, global changes, which affected the market situation, and the timing of aircraft deliveries has been revised, including delays on the part of the manufacturer.”

Safety

In July of this year, a landmark event for the aviation industry occurred when President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev vowed to open the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). This was another step towards introducing advanced standards in the aviation industry, and a decision which is in line with the trend of removing all restrictions for domestic carriers on flights to the European Union from Kazakhstan. The issue was discussed at a meeting of the EU Flight Safety Committee, with the participation of representatives of the aviation authorities of 27 countries.

Unfortunately, however, cases of safety violations in civil aviation in Kazakhstan are not decreasing. According to the Bureau of National Statistics, in 2023 there were 58 accidents in air transportation, compared to 47 in the previous year. In the last month alone, three incidents involving damage to planes occurred at Astana Airport alone. The causes were weather conditions, as well as the actions of the air harbor operator. Fortunately, there were no casualties.

One of the most hotly debated problems in the aviation industry for many years has been the issue of construction in areas surrounding airports. Law enforcement are now taking measures to bring these areas into compliance. According to data from the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan, in 2023, during an inspection by the General Prosecutor’s Office, it was revealed that within the boundaries of airport safety zones, local executive bodies had allocated approximately 1,200 plots for the construction of residential, commercial and other facilities, on which more than 900 buildings have been erected. Over 100,000 different structures have been built within the territory of airfields without the approval of airport commissions (residential, commercial, industrial, etc.).

The cities of Almaty, Shymkent, Atyrau, and Aktobe have seen the most serious cases of illegal construction. In order to establish clear requirements for the use of airfield territories, legislative amendments have since been introduced regarding the procedure for granting rights to plots located on such land.

Air geography

The air transportation market in Kazakhstan is growing: 8.3 million passengers traveled by air between January-July 2024. This constitutes a 14% growth when compared to the same period in the previous year. Airlines in Kazakhstan purchased eleven new aircraft last year, which increased the capacity of their fleets by 28% to around 15,400 seats.

From Kazakhstan today, it is possible to fly to 28 countries on 121 routes with a frequency of 567 flights per week. The largest number of flights is in the direction of the Russian Federation (139 flights per week on 31 routes), Turkey (125 flights per week on 18 routes), the United Arab Emirates (58 flights per week on six routes), and the People’s Republic of China (43 flights per week on nine routes). Flights to Vietnam, Thailand, Egypt, and Georgia have also increased significantly.

The deployment of the “Open Skies” policy will also continue. The National Development Plan of the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2029, recently signed by the Head of State, states that liberalization of the air transportation market based on the EU’s experience will facilitate the emergence of new low-cost airlines, which will be able to compete effectively with national carriers.

Recently, representatives from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) arrived in Kazakhstan to conduct a technical review into the long-mooted possibility of opening direct flights to the United States. If the FAA audit is successful and long-haul airliners are delivered to Kazakhstan, direct flights between the U.S. and Kazakhstan will be launched in 2025.

Take-off points and stumbling blocks

During the years since independence, a total of 22 airports have had runways constructed and reconstructed, and 16 airports have had passenger terminals constructed and reconstructed. The erection of new passenger terminals at Shymkent and Kyzylorda airports is being finalized. Modernization of air harbors is carried out at the expense of private investors.

For many years, experts have been calling attention to a shortage of aviation fuel in the domestic market and its exorbitant cost as one of the major constraints to the development of the civil aviation industry. For this reason, domestic airports are losing out to those in neighboring countries in terms of attracting and servicing transit companies.

The production capacity of domestic refineries does not cover the demand for jet fuel, and it is therefore necessary to import fuel from neighboring Russia. In order to solve this problem, it would be necessary to increase the production of jet fuel, thus eliminating the dependence on imports.

In addition to the aforementioned, there remains the long-standing personnel problem. About 20,000 people in Kazakhstan work in the aviation industry, and the need for additional staff (500-600 annually) is continuing to grow. The Civil Aviation Academy is the only higher education institution for aviation which trains personnel in the Republic of Kazakhstan and Central Asia. However, graduates of this institution are not in demand due to its non-compliance with ICAO standards and other international requirements. Therefore, aviation enterprises are forced to train personnel independently.

Without a systematic solution to these issues, it will be difficult to approach the tasks set for the industry by the National Development Plan, according to which Kazakhstan should become a regional aviation hub. This stipulates the urgent need for the introduction of a flexible tariff system, further development of the network of regional airports and the country’s aviation infrastructure, and ensuring favorable conditions for attracting specialized human resources, and optimizing customs procedures for transit cargo.