Air Astana takes delivery of first Airbus A321LR

Monday 23rd September 2019

Air Astana, Kazakhstan’s leading carrier, has taken delivery of the first of seven Airbus A321LR (long range) aircraft under an operating lease agreement with Air Lease Corporation of the United States, with the remaining six aircraft scheduled for delivery over the next 12 to 18 months, depending on Airbus’ production capacity in Hamburg. Air Astana is the first operator of the aircraft type in the CIS.

The new A321LRs will gradually replace the airline’s Boeing 757 aircraft on long-haul services to European and Asian destinations, with greatly enhanced cabin comforts and facilities for passengers.

The Airbus A321LR is a long-range version of A321neo, with increased maximum take-off weight and associated design modifications. The aircraft is configured with 16 Business class seats and 150 Economy class seats.

The lie-flat business class seats are equipped with individual 16-inch screens, with four of 16 seats offering additional personal space. In economy class, the Recaro seats provide increased comfort for long flights and are equipped with individual 10-inch screens. The design of the interior trim, curtains and seat covers for both business and economy classes have been specially developed for Air Astana, with a combination of elegance and sophistication that embraces a clear national identity.

The A321LR cabin is equipped with a Zodiac (RAVE) in-flight entertainment system, which is in common with all other Airbus and Boeing aircraft in the fleet.

The aircraft is equipped with the latest generation Pratt & Whitney engines, which reduce fuel consumption by 20%, maintenance costs by 5%, carbon emissions by 20%, and noise levels by 50% compared with the current generation of aircraft.

Air Astana currently operates 19 Airbus aircraft in the fleet, including eight A320s, four A321s, three A320neo, three A321neo and one A321LR, with another ten Airbus aircraft scheduled for delivery by the end of 2020.

Air Astana will officially present the new Airbus A321LR to VIP guests and media at a ceremony in Nur-Sultan on Wednesday, 9th October 2019.

About Air Astana

Air Astana is the leading airline in Central Asia and the flag carrier of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Based in Almaty, Kazakhstan, it operates scheduled, domestic and international services on 66 routes from its hubs in Almaty and Nur-Sultan.

Air Astana offers passengers full-service travel and award-winning levels of comfort and punctuality from a low-cost structure. The airline operates a fleet of 36 modern and fuel-efficient aircraft and is well positioned to capitalise on growth potential from sixth freedom traffic involving markets that are emerging as the largest in the world.

The airline recently announced the launch of a low-cost carrier, FlyArystan, the first Central Asian low-cost carrier, to stimulate demand for low cost travel in a largely untapped domestic and regional market.

Air Astana is led by a best-in-class management team with international track records. It has been recognised by Skytrax as the best airline in Central Asia for eight years running and was awarded a 5-star airline rating at the 2019 APEX Awards.