Air Astana's first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, registered EI-KZA, is in factory flight testing in Charleston, South Carolina, where Boeing has one of its production facilities. Its first test flight took place on 1 October 2026. Boeing is completing the required certification work before delivery of the first aircraft.
Timeline
The first three Boeing 787-9s will enter service with Air Astana in 2027. According to CEO Ibrahim Canliel, in an interview recorded in early October, the three aircraft are scheduled to arrive in December 2026, January and August 2027. Kazakhstan's Deputy Minister of Transport Talgat Lastayev said the first aircraft is expected in December 2026 instead of September as planned earlier.
The three aircraft are leased under a 2022 agreement with Air Lease Corporation. They will gradually replace three Boeing 767-300ERs. Separately, in February 2026, Air Astana and Boeing agreed a deal for 15 787s: five firm orders, five options and five purchase rights. Deliveries under it are scheduled for 2032–2035.
United States
The airline plans direct flights to the United States no earlier than 2027. According to the CEO, the launch is planned for the second half of 2027, with New York JFK named as the first destination at two flights a week. He also noted that avoiding Russian airspace requires a reduced payload on the US route and adds flight time on European routes.
The airline targets a fleet of 86 aircraft by the end of 2030.
What has not been announced
The exact acceptance date, the date of the first commercial flight and the initial destinations for the 787 have not been named. Test flights do not mean delivery of the aircraft and do not by themselves grant permission for US flights.
Our assessment: the 2027 schedule remains a plan that depends on deliveries and certification. The shift of the first delivery from September to December shows that dates can move. This is flycentralasia's conclusion, not a statement by Air Astana.
What businesses can do. MRO companies and the airports of Almaty and Astana can prepare infrastructure and staff for a new long-haul type. Lessors can follow further fleet decisions. Tour operators can plan US products no earlier than the second half of 2027.