Air Astana, the rising star in EuroAsia
New aircraft on order, product enhancements and route expansion – with a major focus on Asia – are pushing Kazakhstan’s Air Astana towards its target of 63 aircraft and a strong network supported by hubs in key destinationsAir Astana achieved record growth during 2007.Passengers carried increased by 46 percent over 2006 to 2.13 million.
“Air Astana is a great story,†said the airline’s president Peter Foster. “We’ve been profitable every year since inception. We’re a great commercial and operational success story>
“We are the fourth fastest growing full service airline in the world
Foster has had a distinguished career in aviation. He served in a variety of management and senior management positions yes with Cathay Pacific, both in and overseas, and was a chief advisor to Philippine Airlines during its restructuring
Foster was appointed CEO of Royal Brunei Airlines in July 2002, a position he held until October 2005 when he was appointed president of Air Astana
Air Astana recently confirmed a firm contract for the purchase of six A320s, as part of its expansion programme on domestic and medium-haul routes. First deliveries of the aircraft will start in 2012
“This order is consistent with our strategic business plan aimed at expanding our fleet, and continuously improving the service to our passengers,†Foster said
Currently Astana flies to three destinations in Asia – Beijing, “Bangkok and Seoul. New destinations have yet to be confirmed but Foster admits, “We are looking at Hong Kong – which would be extremely good for launching services into Singapore
“Air Astana is entering into an exciting new era of development to match strong traffic growth demands from the dynamic Kazakh economy,†he added.
Air Astana, a joint venture between a state holding company and BAE Systems, currently operates a network that serves 25 domestic and 21 international destinations.
Achievements during 2007 included the launch of the Nomad Club frequent flyer programme, online seat booking and full e-ticketing availability on most
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