Air Astana, the national carrier of Kazakhstan, has completed one year of operations on its Almaty–Mumbai route, which was launched on April 20, 2025. To commemorate the milestone, the airline hosted a partner appreciation event in Delhi, bringing together key stakeholders from the travel trade.
The event was also graced by Azamat Eskarayev, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to India, and Sanjar Ualikhanov, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Addressing partners at the event, Alan Atamkulov, Country Manager for India and the Indian Subcontinent at Air Astana, acknowledged the role of industry collaboration in the airline’s growth. “As a Hindi saying goes, ‘Akela chana bhaad nahi phod sakta’, one cannot succeed alone. This truly reflects our journey, where our achievements have only been possible thanks to your partnership and support,” he said.
He further emphasised the importance of the Indian market, adding, “We have been operating between India and Kazakhstan for over 20 years, and India remains a mega market for Air Astana. Nearly 135,000 Indian travellers visited Kazakhstan, and we aim to grow this number year-on-year. We are truly grateful to our partners for their continued support in sustaining and expanding our operations in India, and are pleased to mark the first anniversary of our Mumbai operations.”
Highlighting the airline’s performance, Atamkulov noted that 2025 was a dynamic year despite challenges. “According to our POS India data, we achieved a 27 per cent growth in passenger traffic compared to 2024,” he shared.
On a global level, the airline reported an 11 per cent increase in revenue, with a load factor of approximately 83 per cent, carrying 9.7 million passengers, an 8 per cent year-on-year growth.
Reinforcing the airline’s market positioning, Air Astana was recognised as the ‘Best Airline in Central Asia & CIS’ at the Skytrax Awards for the 14th consecutive year. Atamkulov also highlighted the airline’s operational resilience, including the operation of repatriation flights on the Delhi–Almaty route during challenging periods.
Speaking about network expansion, he noted that the airline has strengthened its international footprint with new routes, including Guangzhou, as well as existing services to Beijing and Urumqi. The airline has also expanded its cooperation with Air India through a codeshare agreement, enhancing connectivity across both networks.
He further pointed to easing travel formalities as a key growth driver. “Indian citizens can travel to Kazakhstan visa-free, and as a positive step, visas for Kazakh citizens travelling to India have been made free for up to 30 days for tourism and medical purposes. We believe this will further stimulate demand,” he said.
Virendra Teotia, Director, Deepika Travels, the General Sales Agent (GSA) for Air Astana in India, highlighted the strong response from the Indian market. “Our partners are extremely important to us. Within just one year of operations in Mumbai, we have been able to establish strong market support. We are now looking to expand our presence beyond Delhi and Mumbai, and are awaiting the necessary government approvals to move forward,” he said.
Gaurika Manocha, Marketing and Sales Manager, India, Air Astana, also underlined the positive market traction. “We launched our Mumbai operations last year and have received an exceptionally strong response, both in terms of results and feedback. Currently, we operate three flights and are actively looking at increasing capacity in line with growing demand,” she said.
Speaking on future plans, she added, “Network expansion remains a key focus for us. This year, we introduced Shanghai services on March 29 and will add Larnaca in June. We are also hopeful of expanding our India footprint further, with plans to introduce another destination from the country in the near future.”
Air Astana currently operates a fleet of 62 aircraft, primarily comprising Airbus A320, A321, and A321LR models, with further expansion underway. The airline added one aircraft in March this year and is expected to receive Boeing 787 aircraft by the end of the year.
