Saltanat Tompiyeva on how Kazakhstan is building a fully fledged aviation ecosystem

- What are the Civil Aviation Committee’s key priorities today, and which results from the past year do you consider the most significant?

- Kazakhstan’s civil aviation sector is currently taking on tasks on a new scale. The industry’s development is receiving additional impetus from the special attention given to it by the Head of State, who has set strategic priorities for the coming years.

Ensuring the safety of civil aviation remains our fundamental priority. Our main efforts are focused on improving the effectiveness of state control and oversight, preventing risks and ensuring continued compliance with international ICAO standards.

Another strategic priority is establishing Kazakhstan as a major aviation hub. This requires us to enhance the competitiveness of our airports, create conditions for attracting international carriers, and promote growth in passenger and cargo transit.

This objective is directly linked to upgrading airport infrastructure. Large-scale modernization is planned over the next three years. Preparations are underway in Astana to build a new airport while simultaneously developing the existing aviation hub. A second runway is under construction in Shymkent, while passenger, airfield and cargo infrastructure is being modernized in Almaty. Construction of new airports in Zaysan, Katon-Karagay and Kenderli is continuing, which will improve transport accessibility in tourist regions.

Achieving these objectives also requires expanding the carrying capacity of domestic airlines. Today, the fleet of Kazakhstan’s passenger airlines comprises more than 110 aircraft. In the coming years, airlines will continue the phased renewal and expansion of their fleets through the acquisition of modern aircraft. Fleet expansion will make it possible to open new routes, increase flight frequencies on high-demand routes and support further growth in passenger traffic.

Among the key results of the past year was growth in traffic handled by Kazakhstan’s airports: in 2025, they served 31.8 million passengers and handled 173.3 thousand metric tons of cargo, retaining their leading position in Central Asia in terms of passenger and cargo traffic volumes.

In the first eight months of 2026, Kazakhstan’s airports handled 120.1 thousand metric tons of cargo, 10.7% more than in the same period of the previous year.

After being out of operation for many years, Arkalyk Airport has been fully restored. The necessary airfield and airport infrastructure was effectively rebuilt from scratch, and scheduled flights resumed.

One of the most significant achievements was raising compliance with ICAO aviation security standards to 95.7%, placing Kazakhstan among the world’s top 20 countries.

A major event in 2025 was the first official visit to Kazakhstan by the President of the ICAO Council, Salvatore Sciacchitano. During the visit, he met with the Head of State, and they discussed the prospects for civil aviation and further cooperation with ICAO. The President of the ICAO Council highly commended Kazakhstan’s progress and cited the country as an example for other states in the region, setting high standards in Central Asia.

This assessment is particularly significant to us because it reflects international recognition of the results of our systematic efforts in civil aviation safety and development.

- How are flight safety, the quality of airline and airport operations, and passenger rights protection ensured? What role does digitalization play in this?

- The effectiveness of the safety system is confirmed by international assessments. Kazakhstan’s compliance with ICAO flight safety standards stands at 82%, compared with the European Region’s average of 74%.

At the same time, the results achieved matter, as does further improvement of the system. One significant institutional change in 2026 was the establishment of the specialized Center for the Investigation of Transport Accidents and Incidents. Independent investigation makes it possible to determine the causes of aviation occurrences and develop recommendations aimed at preventing similar cases in the future.

We devote particular attention to passenger rights and quality of service. For us, this means not only formally verifying airlines’ compliance with requirements but also addressing issues that people encounter directly when traveling by air. We therefore analyze passenger submissions and maintain a dialogue with civil society organizations. Issues concerning the accessibility of air travel were recently discussed with the Adviser to the Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Population on matters concerning persons with reduced mobility, and a meeting with the Republican Council of Veterans had taken place earlier.

A number of issues raised by passengers and the public have already been addressed through practical measures. In particular, FlyArystan has increased its free hand baggage allowance from 5 to 7 kilograms.

At the same time, amendments to the Rules of Carriage have been drafted to strengthen passenger rights protection. Particular attention has been given to the carriage of national musical instruments. The dombra and kobyz hold special cultural significance for Kazakhstan, so the draft provides for their carriage in the aircraft cabin, subject to the established requirements.

It is also proposed to establish a specific deadline for paying the penalty for delay in transporting a passenger to the destination, give priority to certain categories of citizens when an aircraft is replaced with one of lower capacity, and establish carrier liability for damage to unchecked baggage where fault has been proven.

Digitalization is also becoming a practical tool for improving the quality of service. Q-Gate systems have been introduced at airports in Astana and Almaty, allowing passengers to complete certain stages of preflight procedures using digital identification. Today, 16 such systems are installed. In 2026, they are also planned for introduction at the Shymkent, Atyrau, Aktobe, and Aktau airports.

- What principles guide the development of the route network, and what is being done to expand air service between the regions and launch new international routes?

- Kazakhstan’s geographic location makes it possible to develop direct air service simultaneously with the largest markets in Europe and Asia. Our priorities therefore include China, India, European and Middle Eastern countries, as well as Central Asia and the Caucasus. When selecting new destinations, we consider passenger demand, the potential for business and tourism ties, and the country’s economic interests.

In 2026, the international route network continued to expand. Cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, Ulaanbaatar, Warsaw, Larnaca, Yerevan, and others were added to the route network. Work is continuing to launch new routes and strengthen our presence in priority markets.

From the government’s perspective, our task is to create the necessary conditions for launching new flights. One of the instruments of this policy is the open skies regime, which is currently in effect at 17 airports in Kazakhstan.

At the same time, air traffic rights granted on a bilateral basis are being expanded. This year, the number of permitted passenger flights between Kazakhstan and China increased from 124 to 152 per week. A new Memorandum of Understanding in the field of civil aviation was signed with Türkiye. In June, Kazakhstan and the European Union signed a Horizontal Aviation Agreement, which expands the legal framework for the further development of air service with European countries.

The results of this work are evident in the growth of the international route network. Between 2021 and 2025, the number of international routes increased by more than 82%, while the frequency of international flights increased more than 2.4-fold.

For Kazakhstan, expanding the geographic reach of air services means closer ties with the largest economic and tourism markets, as well as additional opportunities for business, trade, investment, and inbound tourism. For our citizens, it means a wider choice of destinations and more opportunities to travel directly, without connections through foreign aviation hubs.

- How attractive is Kazakhstan’s aviation industry to investors, which areas offer the greatest potential, and what support measures does the government provide?

- Private capital is already playing a significant role in the development of Kazakhstan’s aviation infrastructure. In recent years, a number of major airport modernization and development projects have been implemented across the country with the involvement of private investment. New opportunities are opening up for investors today.