Kazakh air freight carrier to begin operations in 2026 - govt

ASTANA. July 23 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan's national cargo airline is set to launch in early 2026, the press service of the Kazakh Prime Minister said, citing the Samruk-Kazyna wealth fund.

CEO of the fund Nurlan Zhakupov told Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov that, in line with global practices, the cargo carrier would initially lease three aircraft before expanding its fleet to 10 planes.

The airline will be guaranteed a stable fuel supply in order to ensure profitability. The prime minister issued an instruction to speed up the preparations necessary to launch the airline as much as possible.

"President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has tasked us with strengthening Kazakhstan's position as a leading regional aviation hub. Comprehensive efforts are underway to develop airport infrastructure and domestic transportation. The cargo airline project is a key initiative that will help redirect transit flows to Kazakhstan and bolster our position in the air freight market," Bektenov said.

The government's press service said that the establishment of the cargo airline was motivated by sustained growth in the global air freight market, where 15% of shipments pass through Kazakh airspace.

President Tokayev said in January 2025 that not one Kazakh airline was fully participating in the air cargo market and called for an international air hub to be created.

He set the task of urgently transforming the country's major airports into globally competitive hubs. He said that this would require the development of an integrated ecosystem with cargo and passenger terminals and logistics centers.