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.

QAZAQ AIR
IATAICAOCallsign
IQQAZSAMRUK
Founded1 April 2015
Commenced operations27 August 2015
HubsNursultan Nazarbayev International Airport
Fleet size5
Destinations25
Parent companyNational Welfare Fund "Samruk-Kazyna"
HeadquartersAstana, Kazakhstan
Key peopleNauryzbayev Yerkin Anesovich,[1] CEO
Websiteflyqazaq.com/en

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

History edit

2015–2018 edit

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

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 edit

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

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.

Destinations edit

Qazaq Air route map (September 2021)
CountryCityAirportNotesRefs
KazakhstanAlmatyAlmaty International Airport
AqtauAqtau Airport
AqtobeAqtobe International Airport
AstanaNursultan Nazarbayev International AirportHub
AtyrauAtyrau Airport
BalqaşBalqaş Airport
JezqazğanJezqazğan Airport
OralOral Ak Zhol Airport
ÖskemenÖskemen Airport
PavlodarPavlodar Airport
PetropavlPetropavl Airport
QarağandySary-Arka Airport
QostanaiQostanai Airport
QyzylordaQyzylorda Airport
SemeiSemei Airport
ŞymkentŞymkent Airport
TaldyqorğanTaldyqorğan Airport
TarazTaraz Airport
TürkıstanÄziret Sūltan International Airport
ÜşaralÜşaral Airport
KyrgyzstanBishkekManas International Airport[3]
RussiaKazanĞabdulla Tuqay Kazan International Airport[4]
NovosibirskTolmachevo Airport[5][6]
OmskOmsk Central Airport
YekaterinburgKoltsovo International Airport
UzbekistanSamarqandSamarqand International AirportBegins 2 June 2024[7]

Fleet edit

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

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 8-40057878
7676
8686
Total50

References edit

  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. ^ "QAZAQ AIR opens direct flights to Bishkek". www.flyqazaq.com. QAZAQ AIR. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  4. ^ Абдулманов, Амин (21 February 2024). "Авиаперелеты из Актобе в Казань возобновила авиакомпания QAZAQ AIR" (in Russian). Bizmedia.kz. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  5. ^ "» QAZAQ AIR әуе компаниясы Новосибирск қаласына қайта ұша бастайды". www.flyqazaq.com. QAZAQ AIR. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Qazaq Air resumes Astana-Novosibirsk from mid-Jan 2024". AeroRoutes. 18 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Qazaq Air Schedules Samarkand June 2024 Launch". AeroRoutes. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.

External links edit