SINGAPORE, 5 April 2024: Air Astana confirmed this week its low-cost airline brand, FlyArystan, has been granted its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan (AAK).
Air Astana Joint Stock Company, including its subsidiary FlyArystan, is the largest airline group in Central Asia and the Caucasus regions in terms of revenue and fleet size.
The AOC issued on 1 April 2024 follows the AAK’s extensive audit and examination process to demonstrate FlyArystan’s adherence to domestic aviation legislation and international operational standards.
Since its launch in 2019, FlyArystan has operated under the Air Astana AOC. Under its own AOC, FlyArystan can align operations more effectively with its low-cost carrier model and pursue additional growth opportunities. FlyArystan remains a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Air Astana Group.
Operationally, having its own AOC will enable FlyArystan to obtain its own IATA code, allowing it to expand distribution globally and partner with other airlines.
Air Astana Group CEO Peter Foster said: “Since its launch five years ago, FlyArystan has grown into the market leader in Kazakhstan while stimulating the market, providing 3.6 million passengers with low-cost air travel in 2023 and expanding the fleet from four to 18 aircraft, with a further six to be delivered in 2024. This makes it the right time for FlyArystan to obtain its operator certificate, reflecting the airline’s increased size and operational complexity. It provides the regulatory framework for FlyArystan to continue to grow while pursuing opportunities for international expansion.”
About Air Astana Group
Air Astana Group operates a fleet of 50 aircraft split between Air Astana, its full-service airline that operated its inaugural flight in 2002, and FlyArystan, its low-cost airline established in 2019.
The Group provides scheduled, point-to-point and transit, short-haul and long-haul air travel and cargo on domestic, regional and international routes across Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Far East, the Middle East, India and Europe.
