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Air Astana has announced a delay in its plans to launch flights to the United States due to delivery setbacks from Boeing. The Kazakh airline, which ordered three Boeing 787-9 aircraft from Air Lease Corporation (ALC), expected delivery by the first half of 2025. However, Boeing has postponed the first delivery until mid-2026, postponing Air Astana's expansion plans.
Peter Foster, CEO of Air Astana, told Forbes Kazakhstan, "Boeing delayed the first delivery of the airline’s first Boeing 787-9 aircraft to at least mid-2026." Despite the delay, Foster expressed optimism, stating, "My personal opinion is that Boeing is already getting into shape. There have been changes made there, and I see them as positive."
It remains unclear which US destinations Air Astana intends to service, as there have been no applications with the Department of Transportation for direct route approvals. Data from aviation analytics company Cirium reveals that there have been no direct or one-stop flights from Kazakhstan to the US since 2000.
