With airline revenue increasing by 92% to US$756 million, Air Astana recovered from a loss-making 2020 to declare a profit after tax of US$36.1 million in 2021.

The Kazakhstan-based airline group carried a total of 6.6 million passengers in 2021, an increase of 79% and the highest number in its history.

Air Astana E190-E2 with snow leopard livery. Picture by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com Click to enlarge.Air Astana E190-E2 with snow leopard livery. Picture by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com

Air Astana’s full-service arm carried 3.5 million of those passengers, whilst its low-cost subsidiary FlyArystan carried 3.1 million. Freight carriage grew by 27%.

“The group recovered from the effects of the global pandemic far quicker than expected. Domestic traffic was strong and FlyArystan, in what is effectively its first full year of operation given that 2020 was partially a write-off, posted very strong growth and a small profit. Regional international yields firmed, and new ‘lifestyle’ routes to tourist destinations exceeded all expectations,” said Peter Foster, President and CEO of Air Astana. “2022 has thrown up new and early challenges. The troubles in Kazakhstan in early January were a V-shaped event for us, however the conflict in Ukraine, a country in which we have had a strong presence since 2013, is posing multiple challenges. We pray that it may be resolved soon not only for business reasons but more importantly, so that people in affected countries to which we fly can return to their normal lives.”