Air Astana delayed its plan to launch flights between Kazakhstan’s largest city Almaty and Tokyo Narita to March 2026, the airline’s CEO Peter Foster told the Kazakh business news outlet Kursiv Media.
According to the interview, the route, which Air Astana originally planned to launch in 2024, is being delayed due to issues with Pratt & Whitney engines. The engine issues are preventing Air Astana from fully utilizing its fleet of Airbus A321neos including the 166-seater A321LRs which it plans to use on the Tokyo route.
Foster also hinted at a cooperation with JAL, saying that the flights would be operated through an “agreement with Japan Airlines.”
Currently, there are no non-stop flights between Kazakhstan and Tokyo. Foster expects the weak Japanese yen to help with demand and the flights to not only be popular for those traveling to Tokyo from Kazakhstan but also for those connecting from other countries in Central Asia. The company also hopes to see interest from Japanese tourists visiting Kazakhstan and its surrounding countries, according to the Kursiv Media report.