World Monitor Magazine WM_November_2019_web | Page 112

Air Astana presents first Airbus A321 Long
Range aircraft at ceremony in Nur-Sultan
Photo by Grigoriy Bedenko
Air Astana, Kazakhstan’s leading carrier, presented its first
Airbus A321 Long Range (LR) aircraft at a ceremony held in the
airline’s technical centre at Nursultan Nazarbayev International
Airport on 9th October 2019. The airline is the first operator of
the aircraft in the CIS and is scheduled to take a further six Airbus
A321LR aircraft on lease from Aercap of the United States. The
new Airbus A321LR aircraft will gradually replace the fleet of
Boeing 757s, which have been in operation since 2003. 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.
Air Astana now has 19 Airbus aircraft in its fleet, including
eight A320, four A321, three A320neo, three A321neo and one
A321LR.The average age of Air Astana’s fleet is now 7.1 years,
one of the lowest in the industry. During the presentation of the new aircraft, Air Astana
announced a donation of US$20,000 to the National Board of
Paralympics, with funds to be allocated for the development
and promotion of Paralympic sports in Kazakhstan and for the
training of Kazakhstan Paralympic athletes participating in
international sports events.
“The arrival of the A321LR represents another major step in the
process of fleet modernization, with the new aircraft offering
the latest technologies, low emissions & noise, operational
efficiency and passenger comforts,” said Peter Foster, President
and CEO of Air Astana. “The specification of the Business Class
flat beds, Economy Class slim seats and other cabin amenities
will ensure that passengers experience the very highest
standards of comfort and service on routes to Western Europe,
Southeast Asia, Moscow, Dubai, Istanbul and Beijing.”
The lie-flat business class seats are equipped with individual 16-
inch screens, with four of 16 seats offering additional personal
space. In the 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.
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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 current generation of aircraft.
About Air Astana
Air Astana, a flag carrier of Kazakhstan, operates flights to over
60 domestic and international routes from hubs in Nur-Sultan
and Almaty. The company commenced operations in 2002. The
Air Astana fleet consists of 38 aircraft including Boeing 767/757,
Airbus 320/320neo, A321/321neo, A321LR and Embraer
190/E2. Air Astana became the first carrier from Russia, the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Eastern Europe
to be awarded a prestigious 4-Star rating by Skytrax at its World
Airline Awards 2012 and has repeated the achievement for eight
consecutive years. Air Astana also named Winner in TripAdvisor
2018 and 2019 Travellers' Choice Awards.
Air Astana is a joint venture between Kazakhstan’s national
wealth fund, Samruk Kazyna, and BAE Systems, with respective
shares of 51% and 49%.