14 May 2010
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen!
On 15th May 2010 Air Astana celebrates its 8th
birthday. On 15th May 2002 the national air carrier
completed its first flight from Almaty to Astana. Nursultan Nazarbayev,
the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Sir Richard Evans
attended the inaugural flight, representing the two shareholders, the
government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and BAE Systems PLC, the
British aviation and defence company.
On behalf of the airline’s management I
would like to thank our passengers for choosing to fly with us, our
staff for their great loyalty and contribution, our partners for such
efficient cooperation and our shareholders for their trust in giving us
the honour of representing civil aviation in Kazakhstan.
In numerology, the number eight is a
symbol of eternity, wealth, abundance and prosperity. That is why 8
years of existence is a symbolic achievement for the company. Today Air
Astana is a trusted, successful airline with a world renowned brand name
and a good reputation as a serious partner, diligent tax payer,
innovator of new technologies and a socially responsible company. Air
Astana works hard for the development of civil aviation of Kazakhstan by
operating a modern air fleet, and by supporting projects directed at
the improvement of flight safety in Kazakhstan. Air Astana truly holds
the flagship of Kazakhstan aviation by providing its passengers with a
reliable and convenient air transportation service. Looking to the
future, we have ambitious plans for the growth and development of our
business.
In 2010 we plan to open air services
between Almaty and Urumqi, the business centre of western China,
Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, and Tashkent, the capital of
Uzbekistan. In order to operate regional flights the airline selected
the 94-seat new generation Embraer E-190 jet. The first of 3 E190s will
be delivered at the beginning of 2011. Prior to that time these flights
will be operated by Airbus A320 aircraft. New routes will expand the
existing route map from the present 21 domestic and 23 international
destinations, currently operated by a fleet 22 Boeing, Airbus and Fokker
aircraft.
The success of Air Astana is the success
of all Kazakhstan citizens, not just of the 3000 men and women who work
for the airline. We have received tremendous support from the wider
community throughout these eight years for which we are deeply grateful.
We will continue to do our best to provide the highest standards of
service and safety in the years to come.
Sincerely yours,
Peter Foster,
President
JSC Air Astana