On February 1, Kazakhstan celebrates Civil Aviation Workers’ Day and Kazakhstan Aviation Security Services Day. In honor of the professional holiday, a ceremonial meeting was held at the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

During the event, the Minister of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nurlan Sauranbayev, presented the breast badges Enbek Ardagery (Veteran of Labor) and Kurmetti Aviator (Honored Aviator), as well as letters of appreciation, to employees and veterans who have made a significant contribution to the development of civil aviation.

Among the award recipients were employees of the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan. The Kurmetti Aviator badge was awarded to Svetlana Yeroshina, Director and Chief Aviation Inspector of the Department of Aerodromes and Ground Handling, and Baltabek Duskinov, Senior Aviation Inspector of the Aviation Medicine Department. A letter of appreciation from the Minister of Transport was presented to Chowdhury Md Zia Ul Kabir, Director of the Flight Operations Department and Chief Aviation Inspector.

In his congratulatory address, the Minister highlighted the key achievements of the sector:

“On December 3, 2025, the President of the country held a meeting that became the first in thirty years at such a high level fully dedicated to civil aviation. This underscores the state’s special attention to the industry and confirms its strategic importance. Kazakhstan’s airports served 31.8 million passengers and handled 173.28 thousand tons of cargo, while airlines carried 15.4 million passengers. International air services now cover 135 routes to 30 countries, with 626 flights per week. Behind these figures stand more than 25,000 professionals who ensure the stable and safe operation of the entire system on a daily basis. These results are a direct outcome of your work,” emphasized Nurlan Sauranbayev.

He also noted the results of the aviation security audit conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which showed that Kazakhstan’s level of compliance with ICAO international standards reached 95.7%. This figure is among the highest not only in the CIS, but also in the ICAO European and North Atlantic (EUR/NAT) region.

Kazakhstan continues to maintain its leadership in Central Asia in key aviation indicators, including passenger traffic and cargo turnover, and ranks among CIS countries with strong flight safety performance, achieving a compliance level of 82%.

In July 2025, Kazakhstan hosted the first-ever official visit of the President of the ICAO Council, Salvatore Sciacchitano.

Looking ahead, in 2026 Kazakhstan will establish a Center for the Investigation of Transport Accidents and Incidents, enabling independent decoding of flight recorders (black boxes), the conduct of specialized expert examinations, and research in the field of microelectronics, including component restoration.

In 2025, Kazakhstan’s airlines plan to acquire nine new aircraft, increasing the national fleet to 118 aircraft.

As part of the ongoing expansion of the route network, new and enhanced air services are planned to destinations including Vienna (Austria), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Xi’an and Shanghai (China), Delhi (India), and Rome (Italy), among others.

Efforts are also underway to reduce the cost of aviation fuel to support the development of international aviation hubs. Currently, the price of aviation fuel in Kazakhstan remains below USD 1,000 per ton.

Significant infrastructure development is planned for this year, including the reconstruction of the domestic terminal at Almaty Airport, the launch of construction of a new terminal at Atyrau Airport, major apron repairs at Aktau Airport, and the reconstruction of the airfield at Pavlodar Airport. Construction of second runways at Astana and Shymkent airports is also planned. Development of special economic zones at the airports of Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, Karaganda, Aktau, and Aktobe will continue.

In addition, the completion of airport construction in the resort areas of Katon-Karagay, Zaysan, and Kenderli, as well as the restoration of Arkalyk Airport, is envisaged.