Air Astana Group, the leading airline in Central Asia and the Caucasus, has disclosed its financial performance for 2025, indicating a healthy revenue increase of 11.4% to $1,453.9 million. Despite this growth, the airline encountered profitability hurdles due to unexpected engine removals by Pratt & Whitney, which limited its capacity and escalated costs.

CEO Peter Foster pointed out the airline’s resilience amidst sector-wide challenges, highlighting a 14% rise in available seat kilometers (ASK) to 22 billion. The fourth quarter alone experienced a 15.8% increase in total revenue, fueled by strong demand and prudent capacity management. However, the unforeseen engine removals constrained growth prospects, narrowing the gap between revenue per available seat kilometer (RASK) and cost per available seat kilometer (CASK).

Foster expressed optimism regarding the airline’s future, noting improvements in RASK towards the end of Q3 and a clear recovery in Q4 with a 9.8% increase. He also mentioned upcoming leadership revisions, with Ibrahim Canliel slated to assume the role of CEO in April, bringing significant experience to the company.

Looking ahead, Air Astana intends to broaden its fleet to 86 aircraft by 2030 and aims to sustain a load factor in the low-to-mid 80s. The airline transported nearly 10 million passengers in 2025, with its international network growth being critical to its achievements. Despite the persistent challenges, the company remains hopeful of meeting its growth ambitions in 2026.