The government of Kazakhstan has revised its forecast for the growth of the civil aviation fleet by 2030, reducing it by a quarter. According to an analytical review, by the end of the decade, national airlines will operate 160 aircraft instead of the previously planned 216, reports infohub.kz.
Currently, the fleet of Kazakhstani airlines numbers 111 aircraft. Thus, by 2030, it is planned to increase by approximately 44%.
In 2026, airlines are expected to receive six more aircraft. Four of them are expected to be delivered to Air Astana: two long-haul Boeing 787-9s and two Airbus A320 family aircraft. Vietjet Qazaqstan will receive two Boeing 737 MAXs.
In 2027, the fleet is planned to be expanded by 11 more aircraft, in 2028 by ten, in 2029 by nine, and in 2030 by 13.
From previously announced plans, it follows that in 2027 Air Astana expects to receive a third Boeing 787-9, SCAT six Boeing 737 MAXs, and Vietjet Qazaqstan four aircraft of the same type.
In 2028, SCAT plans to receive another five Boeing 737 MAXs, and Vietjet Qazaqstan six. The latter airline expects eight more Boeing 737 MAXs in 2029.
In 2026, Air Astana signed firm contracts for 25 Airbus A320neo family aircraft and 15 Boeing 787-9s, but deliveries will begin after 2030.
CentralAsia+Aero notes that neighboring Uzbekistan could become the largest country in Central Asia by size of civil aviation fleet by the end of 2026. The country's authorities have previously stated plans to increase the fleet of national airlines to 120 aircraft.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that Air Astana's agreement with Airbus for the supply of up to 50 aircraft is estimated at 8.3 billion euros. It includes a firm order for 25 aircraft and an option for 25 more.
At the end of 2025, Air Astana's net profit fell by 72.5% to $13.6 million, while revenue increased by 11.4% to $1.453 billion. The company's fleet at the end of the year numbered 62 aircraft.