The ability to quickly move both within the country and to other powers is the most important factor in economic well-being. We can safely say that full-fledged development without air transportation is impossible. The airlines of Kazakhstan have been providing the development of key sectors of the economy since the independence of the republic. The constant increase in the number of private air carriers has a positive impact on the tourism sector.
Echo of the Soviet Union
The collapse of the Soviet Union was a real shock to all the republics. It particularly affected those who wished for independence. Air transport was among the areas that suffered the most losses. In the USSR, there was only one air carrier - Aeroflot. Part of the air fleet of the state company passed to the republics in which successor organizations arose. Air Kazakhstan became the main airline of Kazakhstan.
It was a hard time. The airline suffered losses after losses and was in no hurry to renew its aircraft fleet. The basis of the fleet was Soviet passenger liners, because there was no money to renew the fleet. This was largely due to the fact that the country was not considered attractive in terms of tourism. However, the actual impoverishment of the population has become a much more serious problem. Few could afford air travel.
These and other problems led to the bankruptcy of the successor company. The ongoing measures to subsidize and upgrade the fleet through mergers with other carriers have not been able to save the situation. In 2004, Kazakhstan's main airline went bankrupt. Thus ended the history of the Kazakh branch of Aeroflot.
Largest Airline
A few years before the final decline of Air Kazakhstan, the young company Air Astana suddenly appears. Initially, it was not competitive, but competent management allowed it to become a leader in the Kazakhstani air transportation market.
From the very beginning, the company's management clearly understood the complexity of the situation. Huge funds were invested in attracting foreign specialists. Preference in aircraft was given not in favor of airliners manufactured in the USSR. The first three Boeing 757s were leased from the Americans. At the end of 2003, the company's management announced its annual net profit. The calculation turned out to be correct, the company did notmade unprofitable flights. It so happened that people trusted foreign-made aircraft more and highly appreciated the service on board. So the Kazakh airline Air Astana left the previous national carrier far behind and took its place. Since then and to this day, the company has been in net profit and is constantly expanding its fleet. Aircraft are often upgraded, and obsolete airliners are replaced with more modern ones.
Today the company's fleet consists of 40 foreign-made aircraft. Unfortunately, these are not new aircraft. In view of the extreme high cost of such equipment, it is more profitable to buy aircraft from foreign leaders. However, the average age of all aircraft does not exceed 10 years, which is a very good indicator worldwide.
A new hope
In 2014, the President of Kazakhstan signed a decree on the need to return Air Kazakhstan to the market. This time, the management decided not to claim the role of the national carrier. The tasks set turned out to be much more modest: expanding the domestic air transport network and increasing the availability of domestic flights. Despite the fact that the carrier copes with the tasks set, do not expect competition from the largest companies.
Scat
An interesting and unusual player on the market is the Kazakh airline Skat. This carrier is one of the largest. Initially, the company was founded by only 2 pilots. And the entire fleet at the initial stage consisted of only one aircraft of the Sovietproduction. Today the aircraft fleet consists of 65 aircraft. Mostly these are Soviet aircraft, but there are also ships of foreign manufacturers. The unusual thing is that Skat not only carries out passenger flights, but also performs various agricultural tasks. One of the subsidiaries is fashionable and is equipped exclusively with Soviet aircraft. Another subsidiary operates only charter flights. Such an internal organization is rather unusual.
Unfortunately, only the national carrier can fly to Europe. However, Skat regularly flies to Turkey, China, Russia, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.
Russian carriers
The list of airlines in Kazakhstan is regularly updated by subsidiaries of Russian carriers. Basically, representative offices of large Russian organizations operate in the country. Due to the difficult economic situation and a series of bankruptcies, there is a large rotation in this list.
Victory
Russian carriers have a significant impact on the development of air traffic in Kazakhstan. Pobeda Airlines is the leader in this segment. Even in Russia, it is considered cheap and affordable. In winter, the cost of tickets may not exceed 1000 rubles. It is a pleasure to fly with this company. This is not surprising, because the subsidiary of the Russian Aeroflot operates mainly foreign aircraft, and the averageage often does not exceed 7 years. These are practically new planes. However, in order to reduce the cost of the flight, it was necessary to significantly increase the number of seats, which may not be to everyone's liking. The more seats, the less free space. This means that long flights in economy class are inconvenient.
The best of the best
Air transportation is a profitable business. The competition is huge, and the choice should be made in favor of the best airlines in Kazakhstan. The list of companies includes:
- Air Astana.
- "Scat".
- Euro-Asia Air.
- Burundayavia.
Each of these carriers guarantees passengers minimum delays, quality service and maximum flight safety.
