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Air Astana, the flag carrier of the Republic of Kazakhstan, recorded its 10 millionth passenger in early September. This achievement reflects continuing growth at the airline, where passenger numbers have grown from 165,000 during the launch year in 2002 to 2.3 million in 2008.
In addition to international services to major cities Europe and Asia, Air Astana continues to expand its Central Asia network with new services to cities in southern Russia and other neighbouring countries. The airline recently launched services from Astana to Novosibirsk, Russia; Almaty to Baku, capital of Azerbaijan; Almaty to Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan and Almaty to Urumqi in western China.
“Over the past seven years, Air Astana has carried 10 million passengers, which reflects the successful and dynamic development of the national carrier. Other significant achievements during this period include the launch of electronic tickets, the introduction of Nomad Club for frequent flyers and continued network expansion,” said Peter Foster, President of Air Astana. “The airline continues to perform strongly despite the clear challenges facing the air transport industry today and has a very exciting future ahead.”
Air Astana is a joint venture between Kazakhstan’s JS Company “Sovereign Wealth Fund SamrukKazyna” (51%) and BAE Systems (49%). The airline commenced regular flight operations in May 2002 and currently operates a network that serves 22 domestic and 22 international destinations from its hubs in Almaty, Astana and Atyrau. The operational fleet currently comprises of 2 Boeing 767, 4 Boeing 757, 2 Airbus A321, 7 A320, 1 A319 and 5 Fokker 50.
Air Astana is a full member of the International Air Transport Association and is the only airline in Kazakhstan with EASA Part 145 aircraft maintenance certification.
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