Air Astana Considers US Flights via Europe Amid Restrictions

Air Astana is exploring the possibility of launching flights to the United States with a European stopover, as non-stop services from Kazakhstan remain unfeasible without overflying Russian airspace. CEO Peter Foster told investors at the airline’s Capital Markets Day on September 15 that the carrier cannot operate directly to destinations such as New York JFK with its current fleet due to the airspace restrictions.

“Even with the Boeing 787’s range, we can’t do Kazakhstan to New York JFK without overflying Russia. So if we do the US, it has to be operated through a midpoint,” Foster explained. He noted that demand would focus on the US East Coast but emphasized that operations would require fifth-freedom rights at a European airport.

Foster acknowledged the complexity of such an arrangement and said the idea would need “a huge amount of reflection” before moving forward. No concrete plans have been confirmed, and in March he stated that US operations could not begin until Russian overflight restrictions are lifted and Boeing 787 delivery delays are resolved.

Air Astana has three Boeing 787-9s on dry lease from Air Lease Corporation, with the first delivery now pushed to the second half of 2026 from an initial 2025 target. It also holds a direct order for three Boeing 787-8s but has not clarified whether it will take both variants.

The airline currently operates 33 aircraft, including A320neo, A321neoLR, and Boeing 767-300ER types, serving 67 routes to 39 destinations from its hubs in Astana and Almaty.

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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com