EBRD finances Kazakh flag carrier’s maintenance and training centre

(Air Astana)

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is promoting international flight safety standards by providing new funds to Kazakhstan’s flag carrier Air Astana for its investment and working capital needs.

An multicurrency loan equivalent to US$50 million will help Air Astana develop its infrastructure and operations of its maintenance and training centre in Nur-Sultan with a full flight simulator for pilots.

Air Astana will make its maintenance and pilot training facilities available to other regional airlines and provide training programmes to external parties, focusing on greater involvement of female specialists, the EBRD says.

Air Astana, which is jointly owned by the national welfare fund Samruk-Kazyna and British aerospace, defence and security company BAE Systems, has been the bank’s client since 2015, when EBRD helped to finance the construction of the airline’s first aircraft maintenance facility capable of serving large aircraft.

In a separate development, Air Astana is undertaking trials of the IATA Travel Pass mobile application on services between Nur-Sultan and Istanbul between 2nd and 16th September 2021.

“The IATA Travel Pass will greatly contribute to the resumption of international air travel, with the application significantly simplifying the organization flights,” said Air Astana Vice President, Alexander Neboga. ”This process delivers considerable convenience to passengers, reduces time for ground services and staff contact, as well as heightening identification of fake PCR certificates and vaccinations.”

Air Astana is amongst 70 world’s leading airlines in supporting IATA initiatives to re-open international air travel and adopting testing of the IATA Travel Pass mobile application.