Page 21 - AAA SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2015 Online Magazine

FEATURE AIR ASTANA

The success story can be attributed existing routes to China, Georgia, the
to continued work on reducing both Ukraine and the U.K.
operational and non-operational cost
through greater internal efficiencies, Swelling its Fleet
lower fuel prices (outside Kazakhstan) Air Astana currently serves around 40
and the award of long-term contracts destinations with a fleet of 30 aircraft.
at excellent rates for large expenditure The planned growth in capacity will be
items such as heavy maintenance and supported by a slightly larger fleet. Air
aircraft spares. Continued focus on Astana has only one delivery scheduled
improving operational reliability and for 2016 but this will be a growth aircraft.
ground and inflight services to customers, The aircraft being added in 2016 is
and an internal campaign, referred to as being sourced from Air Lease and will
the HEART programme, to update and be the first of 11 A320neo family aircraft,
simplify the company’s mission, goals marking the start of a narrowbody fleet
and values also played a major role in renewal programme. Air Astana fleet
helping the company tide over the crisis. comprise three Boeing 767-300ER, five
Boeing 757-200, thirteen Airbus A320
Focusing on Regional family aircraft and nine Embraer E-190.
Connections It committed in Jun-2015 to lease seven
Air Astana has traditionally relied A320neo family aircraft from Air Lease,
mainly on the domestic and outbound “After nearly 10 years in this including two A320neos, one A321neo and
international markets. Five years ago the job, I can say that Air Astana has four A321neoLRs.
airline had virtually no transit passengers proved to be a true Kazakhstani The airline has deferred the arrival of
success story”-Peter Foster
while inbound demand was limited. its first Boeing 787-8s for two years until
But Air Astana has been working in 2019. “We expect to take delivery of two
recent years to reduce its dependence Boeing 787 in 2019 and one in 2021,” says
on the Kazakh market by pursuing Foster.
transit traffic as part of an extended the second-tier cities in China, all with Recently, Air Astana signed an
home market strategy which focuses millions of people living there. We already agreement with AerCap Holdings N.V. for
on regional connections within Central fly into most of the major Russian cities, the lease of three Airbus A321neo and
Asia and the CIS. Inbound traffic also to Delhi, to Abu Dhabi, to London and to one A320neo aircraft. The aircraft will be
has grown, boosted in part by efforts to Turkey - even Amsterdam and Bangkok.” operated on the airline’s domestic and
develop tourism. international route networks.
Air Astana also has reduced its New Routes
domestic exposure in recent years by “We seek to develop our extended home Safety Record
allocating most capacity expansion to market to all the neighbouring countries, In September, Air Astana successfully
the international market and phasing as well as, of course, routes within underwent the International Air Transport
out its turboprop fleet. Only about 35% Kazakhstan, to feed business between Association’s Operational Safety Audit
of its revenues are now generated by the those points and from and to our long- (IOSA) for the fifth time. The airline first
domestic market. haul network – Europe, India, the Gulf passed the audit in 2007 and then again in
“Just look at our geography, and and Asia. We would like to see a lot more 2009, 2011 and 2013.
you can see that we are in a fantastic expansion to China, as we see significant All other Kazakh airlines remain
situation,” says Foster. With its two key potential there. New routes to Singapore banned from Europe until the Kazakh
hubs, Astana and Almaty, situated halfway could also be possibility in the future, as authorities have implemented a
between China and Eastern Europe, a few well as flights to Tokyo,” Foster says. sustainable system to effectively oversee
hours flying from the Middle Eastern hubs In 2016, Air Astana plans to start the safety of these carriers.
and even closer to the BRICS of India and operations to Tehran in Iran and Ulan “We are pleased to have yet again
Russia, Air Astana has a competitive Bator in Mongolia. The airline plans to successfully completed IATA’s Operational
advantage. launch both new destinations in spring Safety Audit,” says Foster.
“What we are looking at is a kind of 2016 with three weekly flights. Tehran The next audit is scheduled in 2017.
extended local, or extended regional will be served with Embraer E190s from
customer market,” explains Foster. Almaty, while Ulan Bator will be served
“We have the slots, the aircraft and with A320s from the capital Astana. The
the infrastructure to service many of airline also has plans to add capacity on
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