Air Astana gets full safety clearance in latest EU Air Safety List

Tuesday 15th December 2015

Air Astana, the SkyTrax award-winning flag carrier of Kazakhstan, is very pleased to report that it has officially been removed from a list of airlines that have faced operating restrictions in the EU. In July 2009 all carriers of Kazakhstan were banned from operating to Europe while Air Astana was the only exception. The EU's Air Safety Committee had recognised that Air Astana's safety standards were fully compliant with the international standards and establish a system for safe flights, but had imposed a cap on the airline's existing number of services to the EU at the time.   Those restrictions were lifted in February 2014, enabling the airline to expand its European route network.  Earlier this year Paris was added to its European route network, joining London Heathrow, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.

The EU Safety List*, published last week, coincides with the EC's adoption of its new Aviation Strategy for Europe.  The list is essential to guarantee the highest level of air safety for European citizens, which is an absolute priority of the Commission.  It complements the new authorisation scheme for third country operators, which is being phased-in since June 2015.   It will further boost air safety while cutting red-tape, the Commission stated.

EU Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc said, "Offering the highest level of air safety to European citizens is a priority of the Commission.  I am satisfied that we were able to clear Air Astana after six years of work. In the interest of European citizens, we are however forced to maintain other Kazakh carriers on the list.

Background information - EU Air Safety List

Pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 2111/2005, the EU Air Safety List is regularly updated by safety experts from the Member States. They meet at list twice a year within the EU Air Safety Committee (ASC), which is chaired by the European Commission with the support of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). In cases of emergency, a specific procedure is foreseen. To date, all decisions on imposing and lifting restrictions have always been reached with the unanimous support of the ASC. This enhances the credibility of the Air Safety List and ensures that Member States take collective responsibility.

Assessment is made against international safety standards, and notably the standards promulgated by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The European Commission and the Air Safety Committee use a variety of sources of information when assessing whether or not international safety standards are respected. These sources include ICAO, FAA (US Federal Aviation Administration), EASA and ramp inspections' reports, as well as information gathered by individual Member States and the Commission itself.  The latest update of the Air Safety List is based on the unanimous opinion of the EU Air Safety Committee, which met from 24 to 26 November 2015. It was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 11 December.

About Air Astana

Air Astana commenced regular flight operations on 15 May 2002 and currently operates a network of over 60 international and domestic routes from hubs in Almaty and Astana.  Air Astana operates a fleet of 30 aircraft including three Boeing 767-300ER,  five Boeing 757-200, thirteen Airbus A320 family aircraft and nine Embraer E-190. Air Astana became the first carrier from Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States (the CIS) and Eastern Europe to be awarded the prestigious 4-Star rating by Skytrax in its World Airline Awards 2012 and was named The Best Airline in Central Asia and India.   Both accolades were repeated in 2013, 2014 and 2015. In February 2015, Air Astana received the prestigious Air Transport World Market Leader Award.

Air Astana is a joint venture between Kazakhstan's national wealth fund, Samruk Kazyna, and BAE Systems, with respective shares of 51% and 49%.

www.airastana.com