Air Astana

Calling A320 & NTR & B767 Pilots: Explore opportunities with Air Astana, Central Asia's & CIS's leading airline! Join our online open session to learn about requirements, working conditions, career growth, and more!

Empowering Women in Aviation Air Astana and UN Women have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at empowering women in aviation. The new partnership builds on this commitment and brings together UN Women’s expertise on gender equality and Air Astana’s experience in aviation. Under the MoU, the two organizations will work on awareness-raising initiatives, including on the safety and well-being of all women, as well as knowledge sharing and promoting women's leadership. “Today, we are laying the first stone for long-term cooperation between UN Women and Air Astana, a company that is demonstrating leadership in advancing gender equality within Central Asian aviation. This partnership is significant because it demonstrates how the private sector can play a pivotal role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals while strengthening its own workforce and leadership pipeline. We strongly believe that when we join forces for achieving gender equality, only the sky is the limit,” said Belén Sanz Luque, UN Women Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia. During the signing ceremony, Ibrahim Canliel, Air Astana Chief Executive Officer, reiterated the company’s commitment to equal opportunities for women and men in recruitment, professional development and promotion. “Women play an important role across all areas of our business, including technical and operational positions. Our partnership with UN Women builds on this strong foundation and reflects our pledge to further advancing the principles of equal opportunity and inclusion. It will provide us with access to international expertise and best practices, while also allowing us to share our experience with the aviation industry in Kazakhstan and across the region,” said Ibrahim Canliel. On 25 May 2026, Air Astana became the first airline in the region to sign the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs), a joint initiative of UN Women and the United Nations Global Compact that guides the private sector on promoting gender equality in the workplace. Through this commitment, Air Astana aims to challenge perceptions of gender roles in the aviation industry. Air Astana is working to increase women’s representation in technical and flight-related professions. The company currently employs 645 pilots, 20 of whom are women. Among its 598 technical specialists, 21 are female engineers and mechanics. At the leadership level, women hold 49 per cent of senior management positions, while women make up 61 per cent of the company's overall workforce.

Supporting Education Initiatives Air Astana is pleased to support Coventry University Kazakhstan as it opens its new campus in Almaty, expanding access to British education in Kazakhstan. The partnership between the airline and the university reflects a shared commitment to developing a new generation of professionals in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and other fields that are becoming increasingly important to the aviation industry. At the opening ceremony, Air Astana presented career development opportunities within the airline, including the Ab-initio pilot training programme and the Apprentice programme for future aircraft engineers. Ibrahim Canliel, Chief Executive Officer of Air Astana, took part in a panel discussion on the use of artificial intelligence in education and business, sharing the airline’s experience in this area. We are pleased to support educational initiatives and help young people build careers in aviation.

Opening Kazakhstan to the world together! Air Astana, Kazakh Tourism, the Akimats of Astana and Almaty, as well as Almaty, Akmola and Mangystau Regions, have signed a cooperation agreement for 2027, joining forces to promote tourism in Kazakhstan. The agreement aims to support the development of inbound tourism, increase passenger traffic and strengthen Kazakhstan’s profile in international markets. “Developing inbound tourism requires a coordinated effort. By bringing together the resources and expertise of the national tourism board, the airline and the regions, we can raise Kazakhstan’s profile in key international markets. This cooperation will help attract more international visitors and support the development of tourism-related businesses and services across the country,” said Talgat Gazizov, Chairman of Kazakh Tourism. “We are committed to jointly developing inbound tourism, which goes hand in hand with the growth of international air travel to Kazakhstan,” said Ibrahim Canliel, CEO of Air Astana. “Our aim is to make Kazakhstan more accessible to international travellers, raise awareness of its rich cultural heritage and variety of attractions, and promote Kazakhstan as a destination. By working closely with Kazakh Tourism and the regions, we can achieve strong synergies in our international marketing activities, promote Kazakhstan and Air Astana’s network more effectively, and deliver a global standard of service throughout our guests’ customer journey.” The cooperation will include digital campaigns, participation in major international exhibitions and roadshows, familiarisation trips for international partners and media, B2B events, as well as joint analysis of priority markets.

Air Astana presented its approach to adaptation at the Kazakhstan Growth Forum 2026 Air Astana’s Chief Executive Officer, Ibrahim Canliel, took part in the Kazakhstan Growth Forum 2026 in Almaty. During his speech, he spoke about how the airline is addressing current challenges, emphasising flexibility, resilience and the ability to respond swiftly to changing conditions. According to him, the company is restructuring its operations whilst remaining focused on its key priorities: high standards of operational performance, safety and service. Describing operations in the New Normal, Ibrahim Canliel reported a reallocation of 15% of capacity away from the Persian Gulf region and significant growth on routes to China, up 81% and 91% in the second quarter. In addition, the airline operates 102 flights a week to countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus, whilst transit traffic volumes rose by 82% in the second quarter. The Kazakhstan Growth Forum (KGF) is an annual platform for business leaders and experts to discuss current economic issues, development strategies and changes in the business environment.

Happy City Day, Almaty! We wish our beloved city prosperity, memorable events and new opportunities, and we wish its residents and visitors pleasant journeys and wonderful reasons to return.

Air Astana Group wins several top awards at the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards Air Astana received two major accolades, being named Best Airline in Central Asia & CIS for the 15th consecutive year and Best Airline Staff Service in Central Asia & CIS for the tenth time at the prestigious 2026 World Airline Awards, held on 18 September 2026 at the iconic Langham Hotel in London. The awards are organised by Skytrax, the international air transport rating organisation. FlyArystan, the Group’s low-cost carrier, also confirmed its regional leadership by receiving the Best Low-Cost Airline in Central Asia & CIS award for the fourth consecutive year. Ibrahim Canliel, CEO of Air Astana Group, said: “We are honoured to receive these prestigious Skytrax awards for both Air Astana and FlyArystan. This recognition is particularly meaningful because it reflects the views of our passengers and demonstrates the strength of both airlines across their respective market segments. I would like to thank our customers for their continued trust and loyalty, and our entire team for their dedication and commitment to delivering the highest standards of safety and service. We will continue to invest in our people, our fleet and our customer experience as Air Astana Group enters the next stage of its growth.”

Earn more miles and Nomad points when travelling to Istanbul! Until 7 October, earn 6 miles and Nomad points instead of 3 for every 500 tenge spent on a ticket. This offer applies to flights from Almaty and Astana to Istanbul and back. Double your miles and reach the next tier faster. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/dNBgbFbE

Complete the registration form and join us to learn more about pilot requirements, working conditions, career opportunities and life at Air Astana!

Exchange your Halyk bonuses for Air Astana Nomad Club points and use them to pay for flights, extra baggage, upgrades and comfortable seats on board. https://lnkd.in/dFa-wspz