Peter Foster: “Uzbekistan is a new strategic partner for us”

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 1 May 2019, Kazakhstan’s FlyArystan low-cost airline made its first flight from Almaty to Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan, on the comfortable 180-seater Airbus A320.

For the convenience of passengers who will receive high service and affordable prices, FlyArystan installed new Recaro 3530 SLIM seats in leather upholstery, with thin hinged backrests and wide pitch of seats from 70 cm to 82 cm. The second commercial flight of the airline was made on the same day Almaty-Taraz-Almaty. Thus, on the first day of its operations, the airline carried a total of 720 passengers.

The President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Astana, Peter Foster, is confident that before the young and mobile Kazakhstani population there are great opportunities and now those who wish can travel more often and cheaper.

- Creating a budget airline FlyArystan is an important step in the rapidly changing local and regional aviation market conditions, as well as the result of in-depth research and business planning. Today we are launching FlyArystan in Kazakhstan, but we assume that we have no reason not to consider the strategic partnership and the opening of such low-cost airlines in such countries as Ukraine, Georgia, Uzbekistan. I want to note that in our region between the Black Sea and China, in Central Asia, we are the first to launch such a low-cost airline. We also have plans to open international routes so that FlyArystan becomes the first low-cost airline not only in Kazakhstan, but in Central Asia and the Caucasus region. In Uzbekistan, we want to offer cooperation and consider large strategic plans. We plan to launch flights to Tashkent, Nukus, Karshi and to Fergana Valley in the near future. At the next stage, we want to launch flights to the tourist cities of Uzbekistan, such as Samarkand. Bukhara and Khiva, ”said Peter Foster, President of JSC Air Astana, in an interview with journalists.

At the same time, today the first Kazakhstan low-cost airline will open two more expected destinations from Almaty to Karaganda and Uralsk, tickets for which were sold out in April. Until the end of the year, FlyArystan plans to transfer up to 1 million passengers, which, according to the KGA, will have a positive effect on the civil aviation industry as a whole, and offering fellow citizens flights abroad.

 “We were very pleased to bring joy to our passengers, among whom were those who made their first flight in an airplane. This is what our residents have been waiting for - flights at an affordable price. All over the world it is practiced. We are sure that thanks to FlyArystan, Kazakhstanis will be able to see their relatives more often, build a business, develop the regional economy, domestic tourism and get acquainted with the beauty of their native country, this is very timely and convenient for air passengers,” said FlyArystan Sales and Marketing Director Zhanar Zhaylauova.

Now FlyArystan has at its disposal two Airbus A320 aircraft. In September, this number will increase to four, at the end of next year there will be nine of them, and by the end of 2021 the company will have 15 boards.

On 29 March, the low-cost airline FlyArystan opened ticket sales in six directions from Almaty to the cities of Nur-Sultan, Taraz, Uralsk, Karaganda, Pavlodar and Shymkent. You can book tickets for flights of the first domestic low-cost airline on the official airline website