Air Astana remains uncertain about U.S. flight launch

Image: Boeing

Air Astana remains uncertain about the launch of flights to the U.S., the CEO of the Kazakh airline Ibrahim Canliel told local media on April 29. Kazakhstan government officials previously expected that the country’s first transatlantic services could be launched this year. However, the start depends not only on the arrival of Boeing 787-9 widebody airliners but also on obtaining approvals from both U.S. and Russian authorities.

The first Boeing 787 is expected to arrive in September and will initially operate on short-haul routes for pilot and engineer qualification training, said Air Astana’s CEO during the group’s first-quarter financial call on May 5. It will be followed by another in November and a third jet in 2027. Three aircraft of this type were leased from Air Lease Corporation in 2022 to replace three aging Boeing 767-300s.

While the airline acquired the type to launch flights to New York, non-stop service requires access to Russian airspace, which the carrier has avoided since 2022. Canliel confirmed that Kazakh authorities are in talks with Moscow to grant the carrier permission to use transpolar routes. However, this process is beyond the airline’s control, he added.

Another factor is the availability of insurance coverage for flights through Russian airspace, which remains subject to current sanctions restrictions, the airline told CentralAsia+Aero.

Air Astana is also waiting for approval from U.S. authorities. The FAA conducted a preliminary technical review under the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program in Kazakhstan in 2024. This assessment aimed to obtain FAA Category 1 status, which would allow Kazakh airlines to launch direct flights to the U.S.

CentralAsia+ Aero earlier reported: SCAT upgauging fleet by ordering more Boeing 737MAX-9 aircraft.

CentralAsia+ Aero earlier reported: Kazakhstan’s Air Astana finalizes largest-ever order for Boeing 787-9s.