Air Astana has posted a 22 per cent increase in revenue following two consecutive years of negative growth.
The airline recorded passenger growth of 12 per cent to 4.2 million in 2017, as well as an increase in total revenue to US$754 million. Profit for the whole of the year reached US$39.1 million – good news for the carrier, which posted a loss in 2016 following the devaluation of the Kazakh Tenge in the currency market.
Freight uplift also grew by 23 per cent, while new routes between Astana, Delhi and Kiev helped the airline increase total capacity by 7 per cent. Air Astana took delivery of a new A321 aircraft and confirmed an order for five new-generation Embraer E2 regional jets, which are due to start arriving in October.
Peter Foster, president and CEO of Air Astana, said: “Astana Expo 2017 and increased transit business through the new terminal at Nursultan Nazarbayev airport in Astana have been the main growth drivers. Transit business grew by 58 per cent and is now 12 per cent of total business.”
While the airline is expecting to continue growing in 2018, Foster warned: “The industry is operating at peak or near-peak capacity now in most regions, and costs – fuel, airport and other user charges, staff costs are under pressure. Cost control, whilst maintaining quality standards, will be the key challenge in the coming period.”
airastana.com