Qazaq Air takes delivery of first aircraft, targets pax traffic of 250k
Qazaq Air unveiled (06-Jul-2015) its first aircraft in Astana, a Bombardier Q400, with the start-up targeting passenger traffic of 250,000 in its first year of operations. As previously reported by CAPA, the carrier will commence operations on 20-Jul-2015. Qazaq Air plans to initially operate on the following routes - see Route Changes Table for more information:
- Aktobe-Atyrau: Up to three times weekly service. The carrier is the route's only operator;
- Aktobe-Kostanay: Up to three times weekly service. The carrier is the route's only operator;
- Almaty-Astana: Up to seven times weekly service. Air Astana and SCAT Airlines also operate on the route;
- Almaty-Balkhash: Up to three times weekly service. The carrier is the route's only operator;
- Almaty-Kostanay: Up to three times weekly service. SCAT Airlines also operates on the route;
- Almaty-Pavlodar: Up to three times weekly service. Air Astana also operates on the route;
- Almaty-Shymkent: Up to eight times weekly service. Air Astana and SCAT Airlines also operate on the route;
- Almaty-Taldykorgan: Up to three times weekly service. The carrier is the route's only operator;
- Astana-Balkhash: Up to three times weekly service. The carrier is the route's only operator;
- Shymkent-Aktobe: Up to three times weekly service. The carrier is the route's only operator;
- Shymkent-Kyzylorda: Up to three times weekly service. The carrier is the route's only operator;
- Shymkent-Pavlodar: Up to twice weekly service. The carrier is the route's only operator.
Samruk-Kazyna chairman Umirzak Shukeyev said: "From the beginning the company will solve the problem of direct connectivity between the regions, and it will give impetus to their economic development. In turn, Kazakhstan will be able to fully appreciate the convenience of a regional air service. Thus, we solve all the problems posed by the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, when instructed to create a new airline." The above route competition information is provided by OAG. [more - original PR - Kazakh] [more - original PR - Russian]