Kazakhstan’s Aviation Market Struggles: More Passengers, Fewer Planes

Kazakhstan continues to face a shortage of air transport capacity, a problem that affects not only the country but the global aviation market as well. This was stated on January 23, 2026, by Saltanat Tompievа, Chair of the Civil Aviation Committee, at a meeting of the Public Chamber under the Mazhilis.

According to Tompievа, passenger traffic is growing faster than manufacturers can produce new aircraft. Delivery delays prevent airlines from quickly expanding their fleets.

“After the pandemic, passenger traffic is growing so fast that manufacturers cannot keep up with aircraft production. Deliveries are constantly delayed. As a result, transport capacity remains a limiting factor both in Kazakhstan and worldwide, currently around 20%,” she said.

Tompievа also shared the results of a 2025 aviation safety audit, noting that Kazakhstan achieved a high score.

“According to the audit, we scored 95.7%. We are practically first in the CIS and among the top 20 worldwide,” she noted.

However, she acknowledged a weak point in one of the key areas: investigation of aviation incidents, which currently stands at 51%.

“One of the eight critical elements – the investigation of aviation incidents – remains at 51%,” added Tompievа.

To address this, Kazakhstan has established an Aviation Incident Investigation Center, which, according to Tompievа, may operate regionally in the future.