Kazakhstan reforms air accident investigation system, bringing it closer to ICAO standards

Image: CAC

Kazakhstan has completed the transfer of responsibility for investigating civil aviation occurrences to a newly established body, marking a significant step toward aligning its safety oversight system with ICAO standards.

The change took effect on July 13 under amendments to the country’s aviation legislation. Investigative authority has now been officially assigned to the Transport Accident and Incident Investigation Center, a state-owned joint-stock company established earlier this year.

The reform is intended to bring Kazakhstan closer to the principles of ICAO Annex 13, which stipulates that accident investigation authorities must be functionally independent from civil aviation regulators. This separation is crucial to ensuring that investigations remain objective, free from conflicts of interest, and focused strictly on identifying safety deficiencies and preventing future accidents rather than apportioning blame.

Until now, accident investigations were conducted directly by a department within the Ministry of Transport. While the newly created Center operates as a separate legal entity, observers point out that full institutional independence has not yet been achieved.

The Ministry of Transport remains the sole shareholder of the Center, retaining the power to sign key orders, make strategic decisions, and appoint senior management.

For instance, in February 2026, the Minister of Transport appointed Darkhan Katyshev as Chairman of the Board of the new Center. Katyshev previously headed the ministry’s former investigation department and subsequently served as Deputy Chairman of the Civil Aviation Committee (the country’s regulator).

Despite these concerns, the reform has received international backing. Earlier this month, Kazakhstan and ICAO signed an agreement for the UN aviation agency to support the development of the new organization. The program will include expert assessments of the Center’s capabilities, investigator training, and recommendations on equipping its laboratories. ICAO’s involvement suggests the international community views the Centre as a vital stepping stone toward a fully autonomous system.

Historically, Kazakhstan—like most other post-Soviet states—has relied heavily on the technical expertise and laboratories of the Moscow-based Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) for major accident investigations and flight data recorder readouts. The establishment of the new Center, along with plans for its own laboratory base, is designed to build local capability for flight recorder analysis and technical examinations, ultimately reducing the country’s reliance on external agencies.

While the government has not officially linked these structural changes to any single event, the reform follows the December 2024 crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight near Aktau. The high-profile investigation into the accident, which drew intense international attention, underscored the urgent need for Kazakhstan to develop its own credible, technically advanced, and highly competent investigation authority.

Establishing independent investigation bodies remains a core focus of aviation safety modernization across Eurasia. While several neighboring countries have launched similar initiatives in recent years, their institutional models and actual degrees of independence still vary widely.

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