Civil Aviation - The Times Of Central Asia

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Canadian-Manufactured Aircraft Arrives in Kyrgyzstan to Perform Domestic Flights

The first Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 aircraft, purchased by Kyrgyzstan’s Manas International Airport Open Joint Stock Company for its Asman Airlines, has arrived in Bishkek. The airplane, made by Canadian manufacturer De Havilland Aircraft, is a short-haul plane capable of carrying up to 80 passengers and transporting them over a distance of up to 2,000 kilometers. Manas International Airport, which runs all airports in the country, is purchasing two Bombardier Dash 8 Q-400 aircraft for the local Asman Airlines at its own expense. Another Q-400 aircraft will arrive later. Kyrgyzstan is experiencing growth in passenger traffic on both domestic and international flights. In 2023, the total passenger traffic amounted to 5.609 million passengers, an increase from 3.98 million, or 41%, in 2021. In addition, the regional airports in Karakol, Kazarman, Kerben, Talas, and Naryn have been reconstructed at the expense of Manas International Airport, allowing the launch of new domestic routes. A new international airport in the southern Jalal-Abad region is under consideration.

Civil Aviation Air Astana Transport and Logistics Economy Industry Air Transport

Skyward Ambitions: Navigating the Growth and Challenges of Kazakhstan’s Aviation Industry

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...

Boeing Civil Aviation Air Astana Airports USA Aviation Air Transport

Will Direct Flights from Kazakhstan to the U.S. Become a Reality?

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan spent the first thirty years of independence embroiled in rivalries rooted in the Soviet-era. However, the two countries have since moved towards cooperation, and both Tashkent and Astana have tasted success. One area in which Uzbekistan has far surpassed Kazakhstan in direct air routes to key countries. From Tashkent, one can even fly to New York, which is still a dream for Kazakhstanis who want to reach the U.S. via direct flights. As previously reported by TCA, however, at the end of July, the authorities in Kazakhstan stated that the first B787 “Dreamliner” will be delivered in late 2025, bringing Astana’s long-held goal of direct flights to the United States by the end of 2025 a step closer. But will this dream become a reality? In January 2022, the Parliament of Kazakhstan adopted the draft law "On ratification of the agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the United States of America on Air Transport". The agreement itself was signed back on December 30, 2019, when it referenced the flight route Nur-Sultan - New York. Then Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development (MIID), Kairbek Uskenbayev said that a joint commission of representatives of American airlines had reviewed the airports of the capital and Almaty, and concluded that they met international standards. Earlier, the MIID had specified that under the "Open Skies" regime, the fifth freedom of the air would allow Kazakhstan's airlines to bring passengers to the United States, then pick up passengers there and transport them to a third country, that is, to fly in transit through the United States. Concerning cargo, the agreement provided a seventh degree of freedom, which also allows a Kazakh airline to transport cargo from the U.S. to Canada or the United Kingdom without additional authorization. U.S. companies in Kazakhstan would have similar rights. At a meeting held in 2022, which was attended by the Director General of the Aviation Administration, Catalin Radu, and the Minister of Industry and Infrastructural Development of Kazakhstan, Kairbek Uskenbayev, it was stated that work has been underway since the beginning of 2022 to increase technical capacity in preparation for the upcoming FAA International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) into launching direct flights between Kazakhstan and the United States. According to Talgat Lastayev, the Civil Aviation Committee Chairman, Kazakhstan had raised its flight safety assurance level to 84%, 15% above the global average. Plans for the capital's airport changed, however. On the sidelines of a government event in May 2023, when asked by journalists when flights to New York was expected to commence, Peter Foster, head of Air Astana, Kazakhstan's largest airline, responded stating, "Flights are planned to begin by 2025. There is a small correction to be made; the flights will be from Almaty. The Almaty - New York route will at the initial stage be three times a week, with a further increase to 5 flights a week, and if there is good performance, daily flights. There will be no...