Air Astana has won two regional awards at the World Airline Awards 2026 ceremony held in London. The Kazakh carrier was named Best Airline in Central Asia and CIS for the fifteenth consecutive year and also received the award for Best Onboard Service in the region for the tenth time, according to infohub.kz.
The ceremony took place on Friday, September 18, at the famous Langham Hotel in London. The awards were presented by representatives of the international rating agency Skytrax, which conducts an annual survey of passengers from around the world to determine the industry's best companies. Notably, Air Astana remains the recognized regional leader in quality and service, as confirmed once again by the World Airline Awards and high passenger ratings.
However, another airline in the Air Astana group, FlyArystan, was also among this year's winners. The low-cost carrier has been named Best Low-Cost Airline in Central Asia and CIS for the fourth consecutive year.
As Air Astana Group CEO Ibrahim Zhanlyel said, receiving these prestigious Skytrax awards for Air Astana and FlyArystan is a great honor.
"This recognition is especially valuable because it reflects the opinions of our passengers and demonstrates the strong positions of both airlines in their segments. I want to thank our customers for their trust and loyalty, and the entire team for their dedication and commitment to the highest standards of safety and service," Zhanlyel said.
The head of Air Astana added that the group is entering the next stage of its growth, which will allow it to continue investing in its workforce, fleet, and customer experience.
Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted also noted the airline's success. According to him, receiving the prestigious award underscores the highest standards of Air Astana's service and product.
"Passengers highly value the service provided, and the 2026 results demonstrate Air Astana's commitment to delivering excellent onboard quality and maintaining high standards," Plaisted said.
Meanwhile, the company continues to expand its operations while maintaining its focus on service quality. The latest awards are further confirmation of its chosen development path.
It is worth noting that the World Airline Awards were established by Skytrax in 1999. Companies are evaluated through an international survey conducted among passengers from more than 100 countries. Customers rate over 350 airlines across various categories, including onboard comfort, check-in, boarding, and many other aspects. The research and ceremony are funded by Skytrax, and airlines do not have to pay any expenses, which underscores the objectivity of the award.
It is also worth recalling that Air Astana has previously been named Best Airline in Central Asia by APEX, and has received the Pax International Readership Awards and Onboard Hospitality Awards.