On 25 September 2026, a final briefing was held during which experts from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) presented the final oral findings of the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) conducted in Kazakhstan from 21 to 25 September.

The assessment focused on the state’s aviation safety oversight system and was aimed at determining whether Kazakhstan’s aviation authorities, comply with applicable International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices.

As part of the IASA, the FAA team reviewed aviation legislation, subordinate regulatory legal acts, and the state’s capability to effectively exercise safety oversight in accordance with ICAO requirements.

On 24 September, the FAA team also conducted on site visit to Air Astana in Astana, which is an applicant for economic authority from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to fly into the USA. It was a very positive experience and mutually beneficial for all organizations.

In accordance with the IASA process, the FAA will next issue an official notification to Kazakhstan’s aviation authorities. This will be followed by final consultations to discuss any required corrective measures. Upon completion of this stage, the FAA will make a determination regarding Kazakhstan’s Category 1 status.

Achieving Category 1 status would establish the necessary regulatory conditions for Kazakhstan’s airlines to complete the required procedures to launch direct air services between Kazakhstan and the United States.

Following the assessment, the U.S. experts noted the substantial work carried out by Kazakhstan’s aviation authorities. Speaking about the preliminary findings, they highlighted strong results in a number of areas, noting that these results demonstrate Kazakhstan’s strong political will and significant progress in aviation safety oversight.