Inflight Editor Satu Dahl speaks with Aigerim Zhambyl, Air Astanas Senior Manager Inflight Product, about the interior choices for the carriers aircraft and provides an in-depth look into its award-winning service on board.

This article was published in the July/August edition of Inflight. To read more articles like these, apply for your complimentary subscription to Inflight.

Air Astana’s fleet and expansion

Since its launch in 2002, Kazakhstans leading carrier Air Astana has continued to grow quickly.

The Air Astana Group, comprising full-service airline Air Astana and low-cost carrier FlyArystan, has steadily increased its fleet and currently operates a mixed fleet of 51 Airbus, Boeing and Embraer aircraft.

Alleyway of airplane in dim lighting

Image; Air Astana

Just recently, Air Astana received its new Airbus A321neo aircraft from the assembly line in Hamburg. The aircraft features the Airspace Cabin with larger overhead bins and upgraded mood lighting that is now available not only in the cabin but also has a Welcome Effect” at the entrance and lavatories.

Air Astanas Senior Manager Inflight Product, Aigerim Zhambyl, says: We are very proud of our cabin configuration and always reflect our brand and Kazakhstan in the interior design. Weve worked together with our design agency to introduce small but important touches such as our national patterns in the design.”

Air Astana has welcomed Airbus A321LR aircraft into its fleet since 2019 and Zhambyl says the carrier is set to receive more soon.

According to Airbus, the long-range version of the aircraft provides airlines with the flexibility to fly long-range operations of up to 7,400 kilometres, providing access into new long-haul markets that were not previously accessible with single-aisle aircraft.

Zhambyl notes that these Air Astana aircraft feature Thompson Aero Vantage seats in Business Class and RECARO Aircraft Seatings CL3710 seats in economy class. There are more fleet developments ahead, including the arrival of the first of three widebody Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft in 2025.

These aircraft will replace our B767s on our long-haul routes,” says Zhambyl. They will have Adient Aerospaces business class seats and RECARO Aircraft Seating CL3810 seats in economy.” She adds that Air Astana Groups strategy is to grow its fleet to 80 aircraft by the end of 2028.

In fine detail – In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) and services

As a full-service carrier, the passenger experience is naturally a high priority for Air Astana – something that has been demonstrated by the carrier receiving multiple industry awards for its service.

Just as an example, last year the carrier received the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) Awards for Best Onboard Service” and Best Entertainment System” in the Central and South Asia region.

Commenting on what contributed to winning these prestigious accolades, Zhambyl, says: We are very proud to receive these awards. In-flight entertainment (IFE) plays a very important role in our in-flight services department and there is no detail that doesnt matter to us – as they say, the devil is in the detail.

And this is not just about the content offered through the IFE system, things like boarding music are also important as they set the mood for the flight – as soon as our customers arrive on board, they can feel at home.”

When it comes to IFE content selection, Zhambyl says the airline uses analytics to find out more about passenger preferences.

The analytics help us find out what kind of content choices our passengers make, contributing to passenger satisfaction.”

As part of its content library, Air Astana offers the latest movie releases as well as documentaries in different languages.

The in-flight media library also includes movies from Kazakhstan and a wide selection of entertainment for children. Popular TV shows and podcasts are also available on board and the airline has introduced a special accessibility section in its IFE library that features content intended for both hearing and visually impaired passengers.

Celebrating heritage – Preserving Kazakh culture through Air Astana’s safety video

Zhambyl also mentions Air Astanas safety video as having been inspired by the nature, culture and traditions of Kazakhstan.

The video, which was launched last year, features music by Kazakh composer Emil Dosov.

As well as explaining the flight safety rules to passengers, the videos aim is to increase awareness of Kazakhstans identity, natural beauty and unique character.

Family of 3 enjoying Air Astanas in-flight entertainment

When it comes to amenities, Air Astana’s exclusive amenity kits in Business Class on the carrier’s long-haul flights feature renowned brands. Image; Air Astana.

Air Astana also has an in-flight magazine called Tengri, which the carrier says offers a unique insight into the heart of Central Asia. 

Regarding the catering highlights that Air Astana offers to its customers, Zhambyl says the airline does not use frozen products and prefers to use the best fresh, local ingredients.

We are committed to crafting exceptional experiences on board. We offer complimentary food and beverages on all of our flights. Our menus offer specialities such as Kazakhstans national cheese and a traditional tea service, which is a tradition from our ancestors, creating an immersive culinary journey.”

According to Zhambyl, other highlights include warm bread and award-winning wines. Customer preferences and dietary requirements are also catered for and the menus feature vegan and vegetarian options. 

When it comes to amenities, Air Astanas exclusive amenity kits in Business Class on the carriers long-haul flights feature renowned brands such as Samsonite and Coccinelle and offer a wide variety of items such as cosmetics from French brand PAYOT, hand creams, eye masks, socks, dental kits, refreshing towels and more. 

Economy class amenity kits include travel essentials such as dental kits, earplugs, sleep masks, pens and slippers. The kits are inspired by famous places in Kazakhstan such as the Tamgaly-Tas petroglyphs, Lake Burabay, Charyn Canyon, Ile Alatau, and Altyn-Emel National Park.

Keeping passengers safe – Passenger safety with new simulators

The safety training of Air Astanas crew is of course a top priority for the airline, and the carrier announced recently that it had launched a new cabin emergency evacuation trainer (CEET) for the Airbus 320 family aircraft as well as real fire-fighting trainer (RFFT) simulators that are installed at the Flight Training Center in Astana.

The airline says the simulators are the only ones of their kind in Kazakhstan and have the capability to simulate various practical emergency situations as part of the training of cabin attendants and pilots, including incapacitation of one of the pilots, emergency opening, crowd control and evacuation of passengers, depressurisation, real firefighting and orientation in the aircraft cabin in conditions of heavy smoke.

Sandra Cullen, Vice President Training and Customer Experience, says: Flight safety and consequently our safety training is our top priority. New simulators are not only innovations, but also ensure our crews are trained to the highest standards in realityconditions so that our customers can feel safe and cared for on every flight. These new simulators will allow the airline to save crew duty time, but most importantly enhance our already high level of flight and cabin crew training.”  

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