Air Astana celebrates 20 years of Airbus operations
Air Astana, the multi-award winning Kazakh flag carrier, is celebrating the 20th anniversary of operating Airbus aircraft. The first Airbus A320 was delivered in February 2006 and since then the fleet has grown significantly, with almost 60 aircraft in service today. Air Astana shareholders recently approved the acquisition of 25 more Airbus A320 family aircraft as part of the long-term commitment to maintaining a modern, efficient and passenger pleasing fleet.
Air Astana placed its first direct order for Airbus aircraft in 2008, with the new fleet being delivered in 2012/13. This was the first Airbus direct order from a Kazakhstan based carrier, since the country became independent in 1991.
In November 2016, Air Astana introduced its first Airbus A320neo into service, becoming one of the early adopters worldwide to transition to a new-generation aircraft offering improved fuel efficiency and enhanced environmental performance.
In September 2019, the airlineâs fleet was further expanded with the introduction of its first Airbus A321LR, enabling network growth and enhancing the airlineâs capability to operate long-haul services with narrowbody aircraft. Air Astanaâs A321LR aircraft operate one of the worldâs longest nonstop narrowbody routes, Almaty-London, with a flight duration of approximately nine hours.
Todayâs Air Astana Group fleet is predominantly made up of Airbus aircraft, with a total of 59 aircraft comprising of 41 A320/A321neo family aircraft and 18 A320/A321ceo aircraft.
