Air Astana, the flag carrier of Kazakhstan, achieved an improved financial performance during the first half of 2019. Whilst revenue was marginally down, the Company reported an operating profit of US$6.8 million, with EBITDAR up 49% at US$50.0 million, despite a challenging global economic backdrop. The Company continued to demonstrate its strong cost control, improving CASK by 7%.
The airline carried a total of 2.1 million passengers during the first half of the year, which was marginally higher than in 2018. Domestic traffic grew strongly by 9% for the six-month period, which included a notable increase of almost 40% in June compared to the same month 2018. This trend is expected to accelerate as a result of the strong traffic contributions from FlyArystan, the recently launched low-cost offshoot of Air Astana.
International transit traffic declined by 5% due to the temporary suspension of services to India and a reduction in connecting traffic from Turkey and Ukraine, compensated by growth from China to destinations in the CIS.
Air Astana’s fleet renewal programme is rapidly moving ahead, with one Airbus A320neo and two Embraer 190-E2 airliners having been added to the fleet during the first half of 2019. Air Astana’s fleet currently comprises of 36 Boeing 767/757, Airbus A320/A321 and Embraer E190/E190-E2 aircraft, with an average age of 7.3 years.
