Kazakhstan carrier Air Astana is to launch a new low-cost airline in the first half of 2019 which will be called FlyArystan and operate with a fleet of Airbus A320s.
The carrier will reportedly operate a classic LCC model, strictly following the examples of highly successful airlines such as easyJet, Indigo, Cebu Pacific, and Air Asia and has been launched in response to agressive market pressure from the likes of Pobeda Airlines, Wizz Air and Air Arabia.
Initially the plans are to offer domestic routes but it is expected to move into regional international routes in the mid-term, starting with a fleet of four aircraft with 15 by 2022.
FlyArystan will operate from multiple aircraft bases in Kazakhstan with routes and aircraft bases to be announced over thecoming months.
The management team has reportedly already been appointed and is drawn from Air Astana’s senior local managers, whom the airline has been developing for the last 16 years.
It will be led by Tim Jordan, a British-Australian national with more than 15 years’ senior LCC management experience at Cebu Pacific and Virgin Blue.
Air Astana president and chief executive officer, Peter Foster said: “FlyArystan is the result of much serious thought and internal business planning, and comes as a result of a rapidly changinglocal and regional airline business environment.
“It will be good for the mid to long-term prospects of Air Astana, and we hope, very welcome to the Kazakhstan travelling public, who will be able to benefit from significantly cheaper airfares on domestic and regional routes.”
