Kazakhstan’s national carrier, Air Astana, has taken delivery of its first two owned Airbus jets.
The arrival of the two A321 single-aisle jets on Almaty on Friday coincided with Kazakhstan’s Independence Day.
“The arrival of the first owned Airbus A321s at Air Astana is not only a major event for the airline, but also for the government of Kazakhstan. Having launched the airline with minimal capital in 2002, we are pleased to have built up sufficient financial strength to the point where we are now taking delivery of a new fleet of substantial value. Air Astana has entered an important new phase of its development,” said Peter Foster, President of Air Astana.
The aircraft are the first of six A320 aircraft ordered during the visit to France by Kazakhstan’s President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, in 2008. This was the first contract for the purchase of brand new commercial aircraft in the history of Kazakhstan. The total deal for six aircraft is worth more than US$500 million at list prices.
The new fleet of Airbus aircraft will operate domestic routes, as well as to international destinations in China, India, Russia, Turkey and the UAE.
The move marks the latest stage in Air Astana’s fleet renewal and expansion programme, which recently saw the retirement of the airline’s last Fokker aircraft.
