Kazakhstan continues efforts to develop civil aviation and expand the national fleet, said Kazakh Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev during parliamentary hearings in the Senate, Qazinform News Agency reports. “An additional 144 aircraft are scheduled for delivery by 2040,” the Minister noted.
According to the ministry, a long-term master plan to develop the aviation industry through 2050 is being drafted in collaboration with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The document is expected to be approved by the end of this year. Sauranbayev also highlighted steady growth in transit air traffic through Kazakhstan.
Over the past five years, the figure has increased fourfold, and today, revenues from air navigation services are largely generated by transit flows. As part of infrastructure modernization, a contract was signed with the U.S. company Leidos in 2025 to upgrade the country’s air traffic management system.
Over the next five years, Kazakhstan’s air navigation infrastructure is expected to be fully modernized, improving the efficiency of its air corridors. The minister also outlined a global shortage of aircraft, noting that delivery times from leading manufacturers can take 8-10 years, affecting fleet renewal rates.
Despite this, Kazakhstan continues to expand its fleet, with six additional aircraft expected by the end of 2026. Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakhstan’s aviation sector had reached the top 20 global status in 2025, achieving 95.7% compliance with security standards, up from 62%.