Kazakhstani flag carrier
strongly focuses on traffic
growth through Astana hub
Air Astana announces its summer schedule with a major
growth in services operating from the rapidly developing
Astana hub. The new schedule sees service frequencies
from Astana increase to Beijing (4) and Urumqi (6), China,
Istanbul, Turkey (5), London, UK (5), Novosibirsk, Russia (7),
Omsk, Russia (5), Tashkent, Uzbekistan (3), St Petersburg,
Russia (7), Tbilisi, Georgia (4), and Yekaterinburg, Russia (7),
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (4), Seoul, South Korea (4). In addition,
Air Astana will be resuming a service from Astana to Kiev,
Ukraine on 2nd June 2017.
Transfer traffic currently accounts for 10% of Air Astana’s
business, but this is forecast to double in the next few years.
Strong focus is now being placed on transfer traffic growth
at Astana Airport, which will officially open a new terminal
in summer 2017, which more than doubles existing capacity
to eight million passengers per year. The opening of the
new terminal will strengthen Astana Airport’s position as
the leading hub for Central Asia, with its catchment area
covering 250 million people in Central Asia, CIS and southern
Russia. Air Astana currently offers around 400 flights per
week from and to Astana.
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“Air Astana is delighted to announce a major expansion
of services from Astana this summer, with much improved
network connectivity between destinations in Asia, Central
Asia, Caucasus, China, Europe and Russia,” said Peter Foster,
President and CEO of Air Astana. “Our passengers will travel
smoothly through the new international terminal at Astana
Airport, which is opening in time for the influx of visitors to
Astana EXPO 2017.”
ABOUT AIR ASTANA
Air Astana, the national carrier of Kazakhstan, operates
flights to over 60 domestic and international routes from
hubs in Astana and Almaty. The company was incorporated
in late 2001 and commenced operations on 15 May 2002. Air
Astana fleet consists of Boeing 767, 757, Airbus A319, A320,
A320neo, A321 and Embraer 190 aircraft. Air Astana became
the first carrier from Russia, the Commonwealth of
Independent States (the CIS) and Eastern Europe to be
awarded the prestigious 4-Star rating by Skytrax at its World
Airline Awards 2012 and was also named ‘The Best Airline
in Central Asia and India’ that year. Both achievements were
repeated in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.