In March of this year, the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan and the Civil Aviation Committee of the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructural Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan reported their activities to the European Commission’s Aviation Safety Committee.

 During the meeting, the situation was reviewed in detail with the flight safety oversight and certified air carriers in Kazakhstan.   Director General of AAK, Peter Griffiths and Chairman of the CAC, Talgat Lastayev, provided a full report. Following the statement, the European Commission decided that today there is no reason to include Kazakh airlines in the list of air carriers banned from flying to the European Union (“blacklist”). This result has been achieved due to the implementation of a new approach in regulating the civil aviation industry, based on the management model advanced countries and the ongoing regular work of the AAK and the CAC. The European Commission has no complaints to the aviation authorities of Kazakhstan, and the possibility of being blacklisted is reduced as much as possible. However, experts had concerns after the Bek Air plane crash and other cases that call into question the safety of flights. Recall that following the results of the 2009 hearing, and the European Commission decided to include Kazakh air carriers in the”blacklist”.

In an official letter to the head of the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan, the Directorate General of the European Commission for Mobility and Transport stated: “The European Commission’s Aviation Safety Committee notes the Kazakhstan aviation authorities had progressed in eliminating the identified flight safety deficiencies. This meeting was constructive, and the information provided demonstrated the commitment of the AAK and the CAC in implementing and enforcing international standards to continually improving flight safety control.” The Aviation Administration presented measures to improve safety oversight in Kazakhstan, including the oversight review, plans for the recruitment and training of technical personnel, and enforcement measures taken against certain air carriers certified in Kazakhstan. The commitment to continue implementing the policy of continuous improvement, including the vital work on developing the safety control system, was emphasized. The AAK development strategy for 2021-2025 was also presented, including adopting a new aviation law and relevant amendments to national legislation. The European Commission concluded that Kazakhstan had made significant efforts and consistent changes to improve the safety situation in the country. Recognizing the progress made by Kazakhstan to date, the Commission will continue to monitor and assess the further development of the situation. In this context, the Commission intends to conduct, with the assistance of EASA and the EU Member States, a review visit to Kazakhstan for an on-site assessment. The European Commission has expressed its readiness to work closely with the aviation authorities to improve Kazakhstan’s safety situation further while ensuring that any potential safety risks to travelling citizens are controlled.