Air Astana’s Airbus fleet grows to 20 narrow-body aircraft

One week after the first A321-200neo LR (pictured) arrived in the CIS, Kazakhstan’s flag-carrier has increased the number of European-made aircraft in its fleet to 20 (Airbus)

Last weekend, the fleet of Kazakh flag carrier Air Astana welcomed its fourth Airbus A321neo. Sporting registration number P4-KDF, it is the 20th European-made plane in the airline’s fleet.

The re-engined Airbus A321neo, which was delivered directly from the manufacturer’s Hamburg plant to Almaty on September 27, is powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1133G engines and is configured to carry 28 passengers in business class and 151 in economy.

The airline has told Russian Aviation Insider that the newly arrived aircraft is due to enter commercial operations on October 9.

The aircraft is on lease from the US Air Lease Corporation (ALC) in an initial contract signed at the 2015 Paris air show for four A321LRs, two A320neos and one A321neo. At later point the operator agreed three more long-range A321LR versions. The Kazakhstan carrier became the first CIS operator of the type on September 20.

The airline’s fleet currently consists of 20 Airbus narrow-body aircraft: eight А320s, four А321s, as well as three А320neos, four А321neos and one A321LR. In addition Air Astana operates three Boeing 767-300ERs, four Boeing 757-200s and 11 Embraer E190s, including four E190-E2s.

Previously the airline has announced plans to increase its fleet by the end of 2019 to 39 aircraft. It is also expected that, by the end of 2020, its fleet of European-made aircraft will increase by a further 10 units.