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Qazaq Air

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Qazaq Air
Vietjet Qazaqstan
BERJAYA
IATA ICAO Call sign
IQ QAZ SAMRUK
Founded1 April 2015[1]
Commenced operations
27 August 2015[1]
HubsNursultan Nazarbayev International Airport
IQ Bonus[2]
Fleet size5[3]
Parent companySamruk-Kazyna – 49%
Central Asia Aviation Holdings Limited – 49%
Kazasia Holdings Limited – 2%[1]
HeadquartersAstana, Kazakhstan
Key peopleAdilbek Umraliyev, Chairman of the Management Board[4]
Revenueabout KZT 21 billion (2024)[3]
Websitevietjetqazaqstan.kz

Qazaq Air JSC («QAZAQ AIR» АҚ), doing business as Vietjet Qazaqstan since 2025,[5] is a Kazakh airline based in Astana and operating from Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport. It operates scheduled domestic and international services, as well as subsidised routes under a state programme.[6]

The airline was established in 2015 by the Samruk-Kazyna sovereign wealth fund.[1] In 2025, the privatisation of the company was completed: the shareholders of QAZAQ AIR became Samruk-Kazyna JSC with 49%, Central Asia Aviation Holdings Limited with 49%, and Kazasia Holdings Limited with 2%.[1] Central Asia Aviation Holdings Limited is part of Vietnam's Sovico Group.[1]

History

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2015–2018

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In April 2015, Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund established Qazaq Air JSC as a subsidiary company.[7] The airline was presented on 6 July 2015 in Astana.[8][9][10]

The first scheduled passenger flight took place on 27 August 2015 on the Almaty–Astana route.[11] During the first five days of operations, more than 900 passengers used the airline's services.[12] By 21 October 2015, the airline had carried more than 10,000 passengers.[13]

In 2017, more than 250,000 passengers used the airline's services, a 53.6% increase compared with the previous year.[14]

In July 2017, the airline operated its first international flight: under a charter programme, it began flights from Almaty to Issyk-Kul International Airport in Tamchy, Kyrgyzstan.[15]

In November 2018, Qazaq Air became the third Kazakh carrier to pass the International Air Transport Association's IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and receive IOSA certification.[16] According to the company's annual report, in 2018 Qazaq Air carried 307,000 passengers, operated 5,451 flights, and its route network included 14 routes linking 12 cities in Kazakhstan.[17]

2019–2023

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According to results for the first half of 2019, the airline reported that it had carried more than 920,000 passengers since the start of operations.[18]

In July 2019, Qazaq Air became the 293rd member of the International Air Transport Association.[19]

In November 2019, the airline successfully completed its second IOSA audit, and its IOSA certificate and operator status were extended until November 2021.[20]

In 2023, Samruk-Kazyna began the privatisation process for Qazaq Air. According to The Tenge, the airline was planned to be sold in the second half of 2023; however, the tender was declared unsuccessful and the sale was postponed to 2024. The publication also stated that Vietnam's SOVICO Group had shown interest in acquiring the carrier.[21]

2024–2026

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On 24 December 2024, Samruk-Kazyna signed a share purchase agreement for Qazaq Air with a consortium of investors consisting of Central Asia Aviation Holdings Limited and Kazasia Holdings Limited; the agreement entered into force on 27 December 2024 after the adoption of Government of Kazakhstan Resolution No. 1130.[3] According to Samruk-Kazyna, Central Asia Aviation Holdings Limited was part of Sovico Group, the main shareholder of VietJet Air.[3]

Samruk-Kazyna stated that at the time of the transaction Qazaq Air operated five Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 aircraft, carried more than 600,000 passengers in 2024, generated about KZT 21 billion in revenue, and recorded EBITDA of more than KZT 2 billion.[3]

On 6 May 2025, Samruk-Kazyna announced the completion of the transfer of a controlling stake in Qazaq Air to a consortium of strategic investors consisting of Central Asia Aviation Holdings Limited and Kazasia Holdings Limited.[22] According to Kapital.kz, 51% of the airline's shares were transferred to the investor consortium, while Samruk-Kazyna's stake decreased to 49%.[23]

On the same day, Vietjet Air and Qazaq Air signed a strategic partnership agreement. According to Samruk-Kazyna, Vietjet Qazaqstan was created on the Qazaq Air platform, while Sovico Group and VietJet Air were expected to participate in its management and operations.[22] The airline's official materials use the wording "QAZAQ AIR JSC, operating under the VIETJET QAZAQSTAN trademark".[5]

In October 2025, the airline announced the launch of direct flights from Astana to Bishkek and Samarkand.[24]

In 2025, QAZAQ AIR marked the 10th anniversary of its operations. According to the company, during those ten years the airline carried more than 4 million passengers and operated more than 66,000 flights; in 2024, around 601,000 passengers used the carrier's services.[25]

In April 2026, the Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia published a note from the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Russia designating Qazaq Air as a scheduled carrier on the routes Aktobe–Kazan, Astana–Novosibirsk, Astana–Omsk, and Astana–Yekaterinburg, with up to seven weekly flights on each route.[26]

According to an extract from the Russian Federal Tax Service dated 9 July 2026, the airline's board of directors decided on 27 February 2026 to establish a representative office in the Russian Federation. The office was accredited on 29 April 2026 following a decision of the Federal Air Transport Agency dated 15 April 2026, and was registered in Yekaterinburg at 55A Bakhchivandzhi Street, premises 3. The head of the representative office was listed as Aleksandr Dmitrievich Nechipurenko.[27]

On 9 July 2026, Kazakh media, citing the airline's press service, reported that flights on the Astana–Omsk–Astana route had been suspended from 9 to 20 July 2026 because of temporary restrictions on the use of airspace in the Omsk area.[28]

Destinations

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As of 2026, according to the official Vietjet Qazaqstan website, the airline operates scheduled domestic and international flights, as well as subsidised routes under a state programme.[6]

Fleet

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BERJAYA
De Havilland Dash 8-400

Qazaq Air operates De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 turboprop aircraft, formerly known as the Bombardier Q400.[3]

The first three aircraft were taken on operating lease from Falcon Aviation Services LLC of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.[29]

In December 2017, an agreement was signed for the acquisition of two new De Havilland Dash 8-400 aircraft.[30] Their delivery took place in the first half of 2019.[31]

Qazaq Air fleet
Aircraft type Registration Seats Year of manufacture
De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 UP-DH001 78 2015
UP-DH002 78 2015
UP-DH003 76 2015
UP-DH004 86 2019
UP-DH005 86 2019

Ownership

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From April 2015 to May 2025, 100% of Qazaq Air's shares were owned by the state through the Samruk-Kazyna fund.[1] In May 2025, the airline's privatisation was completed: the shareholders became Samruk-Kazyna JSC with 49%, Central Asia Aviation Holdings Limited with 49%, and Kazasia Holdings Limited with 2%.[1][23]

According to Qazaq Air, Central Asia Aviation Holdings Limited is part of Vietnam's Sovico Group.[1]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "About Us". Vietjet Qazaqstan. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  2. ↑ "Часто задаваемые вопросы" [Frequently Asked Questions] (in Russian). Vietjet Qazaqstan. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "АО «Самрук-Қазына» объявляет о подписании договора купли-продажи акций АО «QAZAQ AIR» с консорциумом инвесторов" [Samruk-Kazyna announces the signing of a share purchase agreement for JSC QAZAQ AIR with a consortium of investors] (in Russian). Samruk-Kazyna. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  4. ↑ "Адилбек Умралиев стал председателем правления Qazaq Air" [Adilbek Umraliyev became chairman of the management board of Qazaq Air] (in Russian). Kapital.kz. 3 October 2025. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Первые пассажиры отправились новым прямым рейсом из Астаны в Бишкек" [The first passengers departed on the new direct flight from Astana to Bishkek] (in Russian). Vietjet Qazaqstan. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Направления" [Destinations] (in Russian). Vietjet Qazaqstan. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  7. ↑ "Qazaq Air расширяет сеть региональных маршрутов" [Qazaq Air expands its network of regional routes] (in Russian). Kapital.kz. 25 September 2015. Archived from the original on 31 October 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  8. ↑ "Презентована авиакомпания Qazaq Air" [Qazaq Air airline presented] (in Russian). Tengri News. 6 July 2015. Archived from the original on 29 August 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  9. ↑ "Как выглядят самолеты Qazaq Air" [What Qazaq Air aircraft look like] (in Russian). Tengri News. 6 July 2015. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  10. ↑ "В Астане презентовали новую авиакомпанию Qazaq Air" [A new airline, Qazaq Air, was presented in Astana] (in Russian). Zakon.kz. 6 July 2015. Archived from the original on 31 August 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  11. ↑ Alina Yesenalina, Bakhtiyar Darkeyev (28 August 2015). "Qazaq air совершила первый коммерческий рейс" [Qazaq Air made its first commercial flight] (in Russian). Informburo. Archived from the original on 29 August 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  12. ↑ "За 5 дней услугами Qazaq Air воспользовались более 900 пассажиров" [More than 900 passengers used Qazaq Air services in 5 days] (in Russian). Kazinform. 1 September 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  13. ↑ "Через несколько лет казахстанцы станут больше летать, считают в «Qazaq Air»" [In a few years Kazakhstanis will fly more, according to Qazaq Air] (in Russian). Kazinform. 21 October 2015. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  14. ↑ "QAZAQ AIR подвела итоги своей деятельности в 2017" [QAZAQ AIR summed up its performance in 2017] (in Russian). Forbes Kazakhstan. 9 January 2018. Archived from the original on 7 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  15. ↑ "Qazaq Air запускает первый международный рейс" [Qazaq Air launches its first international flight] (in Russian). Forbes Kazakhstan. 28 July 2017. Archived from the original on 31 August 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  16. ↑ "Аудит IOSA прошёл третий авиаперевозчик Казахстана" [The third Kazakh airline passed the IOSA audit] (in Russian). ATO.ru. Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  17. ↑ "Годовой отчёт 2018" [Annual Report 2018] (PDF) (in Russian). QAZAQ AIR. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  18. ↑ "Qazaq Air в первом полугодии увеличила пассажиропоток на 16%" [Qazaq Air increased passenger traffic by 16% in the first half of the year] (in Russian). inbusiness.kz. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  19. ↑ "Авиакомпания Qazaq Air прошла сертификацию IATA" [Qazaq Air passed IATA certification] (in Russian). ATO.ru. 17 July 2019. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  20. ↑ "Qazaq Air подтвердила соответствие международным стандартам IOSA" [Qazaq Air confirmed compliance with international IOSA standards] (in Russian). ATO.ru. 4 December 2019. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  21. ↑ "Продажу Qazaq Air перенесли на 2024 год" [The sale of Qazaq Air was postponed to 2024] (in Russian). The Tenge. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  22. 1 2 "Историческая сделка: АО «Самрук-Қазына» успешно завершило передачу акций Qazaq Air стратегическому инвестору" [Historic deal: Samruk-Kazyna successfully completed the transfer of Qazaq Air shares to a strategic investor] (in Russian). Samruk-Kazyna. 6 May 2025. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  23. 1 2 "Какой пакет акций Qazaq Air продан инвесторам" [What stake in Qazaq Air was sold to investors] (in Russian). Kapital.kz. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  24. ↑ "QAZAQ AIR (VIETJET QAZAQSTAN) открывает прямые рейсы из Астаны в Кыргызстан и Узбекистан" [QAZAQ AIR (VIETJET QAZAQSTAN) launches direct flights from Astana to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan] (in Russian). Vietjet Qazaqstan. 16 October 2025. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  25. ↑ "QAZAQ AIR (Vietjet Qazaqstan): 10 Years in the Sky — Stories, Achievements and New Horizons". Vietjet Qazaqstan. 16 October 2025. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  26. ↑ "Нота Посольства Республики Казахстан в Российской Федерации от 04.04.2026 № 30-04/488 относительно назначения компании АО «Qazaq Air» в качестве регулярного перевозчика пассажиров, багажа, грузов и почты" [Note of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Russian Federation dated 4 April 2026 No. 30-04/488 concerning the designation of Qazaq Air JSC as a scheduled carrier of passengers, baggage, cargo and mail] (in Russian). Federal Air Transport Agency. 15 April 2026. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  27. ↑ "Выписка из государственного реестра аккредитованных филиалов и представительств иностранных юридических лиц № 99652600066382 по НЗА 20260000431" [Extract from the State Register of Accredited Branches and Representative Offices of Foreign Legal Entities No. 99652600066382 (NZA 20260000431)] (PDF) (in Russian). Federal Tax Service of Russia. 9 July 2026.
  28. ↑ "Казахстанская авиакомпания отменила прямые рейсы из Астаны в Омск" [Kazakh airline cancelled direct flights from Astana to Omsk] (in Russian). NUR.KZ. 9 July 2026.
  29. ↑ "Казахстанская авиакомпания Qazaq Air получила первые три самолета Q400" [Kazakh airline Qazaq Air received its first three Q400 aircraft] (in Russian). ATO.ru. 6 July 2015. Archived from the original on 31 August 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  30. ↑ "QAZAQ AIR приобрела два самолета Bombardier Q400 NextGen" [QAZAQ AIR acquired two Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft] (in Russian). Forbes Kazakhstan. 13 December 2017. Archived from the original on 12 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  31. ↑ "Новое воздушное судно QAZAQ AIR совершило первый рейс" [New QAZAQ AIR aircraft performed its first flight] (in Russian). 24.kz. 8 May 2019. Archived from the original on 20 June 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
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