Qazaq Air

Last updated
QAZAQ AIR
Qazaq Air logo.svg
IATA ICAO Call sign
IQQAZSAMRUK
Founded1 April 2015
Commenced operations27 August 2015
Hubs Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport
Fleet size5
Destinations25
Parent company National Welfare Fund "Samruk-Kazyna"
Headquarters Astana, Kazakhstan
Key peopleNauryzbayev Yerkin Anesovich, [1] CEO
Website flyqazaq.com/en

Qazaq Air (Kazakh : Qazaq Eir) is a Kazakh airline operating scheduled services from its main hub in Astana and focuses on domestic flights. [2] It was established to improve the safety and availability of interregional air traffic in Kazakhstan and the border areas of neighboring states.

Contents

The spelling of the airline's name reflects the ongoing change in the Kazakh alphabet from Cyrillic to Latin verses.

History

2015–2018

Qazaq Air was founded in April 2015 by the sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna. The airline was launched on 6 July 2015. It commenced operations on 27 August 2015 on the Almaty to Nur-Sultan route.

Qazaq Air served 15 destinations by the end of 2017.

Qazaq Air Q400 QAZAQ AIR flot.jpg
Qazaq Air Q400

It launched its first international route, from Almaty to Issyk-Kul International Airport in Kyrgyzstan, in July 2017.

In June 2018, China Express Airlines (Huaxia Airlines) expressed its readiness to take part in the privatization of Qazaq Air. The carriers signed a memorandum of understanding on the development of their strategic cooperation.

2019–present

Based on the results of the first half of 2019, the airline reported that it had transported more than 920,000 passengers since the beginning of its operations.

Despite the pandemic and the ban on flights announced in March 2020, Qazaq Air completed the process of relocating its main hub to the capital of the country, Nur-Sultan. It also opened its own website, introduced a new booking and sales system, and launched an electronic ticketing service. These changes resulted in a 14% increase in the number of passengers carried compared to the same period in 2019.

Qazaq Air Q400 QAZAQ AIR fleet.jpg
Qazaq Air Q400

In fall 2020, the IQ Bonus loyalty program for frequent flyers was launched.

278,000 passengers were transported in the 1st half of 2021, an increase of 88% from the same period in 2020.

In 2024, it was announced that the carrier will be acquired by the Vietnamese-based Sovico Group - the co-founder and owner of VietJet Air, with proposal to establish a fleet of 20 Boeing 737 MAX or Airbus A320 family narrowbody jetliners. [3]

Destinations

Qazaq Air, operates both domestic and international flights. Below is a list of cities and airports served by the airline:

Qazaq Air route map (September 2021) QAZAQ AIR route map.png
Qazaq Air route map (September 2021)
Qazaq Air destinations
CityAirport
AstanaNursultan Nazarbayev International Airport
AlmatyAlmaty International Airport
AktobeAktobe International Airport
AtyrauAtyrau International Airport
KokshetauKokshetau International Airport
KostanayKostanay International Airport
KyzylordaKyzylorda International Airport
PavlodarPavlodar International Airport
ShymkentShymkent International Airport
TaldykorganTaldykorgan Airport
UralskUralsk International Airport
TurkestanTurkestan International Airport
SamarkandSamarkand International Airport (International route)
OmskOmsk Tsentralny Airport (International route)
YekaterinburgKoltsovo International Airport (International route)
NovosibirskTolmachevo International Airport (International route)
KazanKazan International Airport (International route)

Fleet

The Qazaq Air fleet is the youngest among the airlines in Kazakhstan.

De Havilland Dash-8-Q400NG UP-DH004 Flot QAZAQ AIR.jpg
De Havilland Dash-8-Q400NG

Due to the increasing passenger traffic and demand for air transportation both within Kazakhstan and in the border regions, the airline plans to increase its fleet[ when? ] by 3 new aircraft.

Qazaq Air fleet
AircraftIn serviceOrdersPassengersNotes
JYTotal
De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 57878
7676
8686
Total50

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References

  1. "QAZAQ AIR возглавил Еркин Наурызбаев". kapital.kz. 2022-10-05.
  2. "Corporate profile". QAZAQ AIR. Archived from the original on 2018-03-12. Retrieved 2018-03-12.
  3. Nadalet, Ivan (2024-05-23). "Qazaq Air set to be sold to Viet Nam's Sovico Group". According to the agreements, the Vietnamese investor plans to equip Qazaq Air with at least twenty B737-8s and A320/321 jets within five years.