FAA Conducts Audit Ahead Of Planned U.S.-Kazakhstan Flights

The U.S. FAA has commenced an International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) in Kazakhstan, a significant step toward the launch of direct flights between Kazakhstan and the U.S. by the end of 2025.

According to the Kazakhstan Civil Aviation Committee, FAA representatives are conducting a technical review to evaluate the effectiveness of the country’s aviation authorities in overseeing flight safety.

The assessment includes a comprehensive analysis of the country’s civil aviation system, with FAA experts set to provide recommendations to align with international safety standards. The review process also involves a technical visit to Air Astana.

The move comes as Air Astana prepares to receive its first Boeing 787 aircraft, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2025. CAPA – Centre for Aviation data shows the airline has three 787-8s and one 787-9 on order.

Origin and destination (O&D) traffic between the U.S. and Kazakhstan amounted to about 116,000 two-way passengers in 2023, with Almaty-New York, Astana-New York and Almaty-Los Angeles being the largest city pairs. The number of O&D passengers last year marked a rise of 7.5% on 2019 levels.

Earlier in August, Air Astana signed a codeshare agreement with Japan Airlines (JAL) and announced plans to launch a new route to Japan in spring 2026. A service connecting Almaty and Tokyo would become the sole nonstop scheduled flights linking the two countries.