BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 30. Kazakhstan’s “Air Astana” airline is using the momentum to take advantage of the drop in airline traffic via Russia and the reopening of China, Peter Foster, the CEO of Air Astana, said, Trend reports, citing Reuters.
Foster said that Kazakhstan was able to boost its market share due to the decrease in air traffic going through Russia, as Moscow lost its status as a hub between East and West. He noted that Kazakhstan is well-placed to fill in the existing void and take advantage of this transition.
He added that the company is looking to expand its air fleet to meet increasing demand. Currently, Air Astana is in possession of 44 aircrafts and the company expects to increase the number of planes available to 50.
Foster noted the company is seeing big potential in China, as the country opened its borders following COVID. He added that India and Pakistan are also particularly appealing markets for Air Astana.
The CEO concluded by saying that Air Astana was able to quickly overcome supply chain issues, which were first recorded at the beginning of 2022.
Kazakhstan’s flagship carrier registered a record profit of $78.4 million in 2022, in addition to reporting the growth of passenger turnover by 11 percent to 7.4 million people despite the company ceasing flights to Russia.