Air Astana LCC FlyArystan Sets May 1 Launch Date

Air Astana's new low cost unit FlyArystan is set for a May 1 launch, initially with flights to two domestic destinations.

The LCC will serve Taraz and Uralsk from the capital Almaty, with tickets already on sale since the beginning of the month.

FlyArystan will use 180-seat Airbus A320s, and plans to have at least 15 of the type in service by 2022. The carrier will concentrate on serving domestic destinations within Kazakhstan first, but expects to offer international services “in the mid-term.”

“With Board approval for this exciting new airline granted just six months ago, seats going on sale so swiftly is a remarkable achievement,” parent company Air Astana's chief executive Peter Foster said.

The new airline will give both Kazakhstan citizens and foreign visitors the ability to travel more easily and comfortably across the country with lower air fares, FlyArystan's CEO Tim Jordan said.

“With only a month to go before the launch of our first services to Taraz and Uralsk, we are delighted at the immediate strong market response and look forward to welcoming our first customers in May,” he added.