Kazakhstan's Deputy Transport Minister said a private investor, Timur Turlov, will fund aircraft purchases for cargo airline Alatau Air Cargo. This was reported on 04.11.2026. According to the deputy minister, the national railway company KTZ plans no additional funding, and purchases will draw on the company's own leasing and operating activity.
Fleet plans
The first aircraft is planned for 2026, the second for 2027 and about ten by 2030. The company has no aircraft of its own at present, and negotiations are ongoing. The aircraft type was not named in the report.
Earlier, on 29.10.2026, Deputy Transport Minister Talgat Lastayev told a government meeting that a contract had been signed for an Airbus A340 and its arrival was expected in November, with a second aircraft in March. It was also said that the total fleet will be 10 aircraft and that Sary-Arka airport in the Karaganda region is being considered as the main base. According to the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan, the company plans to start operations with the A340 and add the Boeing 767 to its certificate in 2027 and the Boeing 777 in 2028.
Company structure
The company was created in October 2025 as KTZ Air Cargo. Its founder is KTZ Express, a KTZ subsidiary. In March 2026, Turlov Private Holding acquired about 51% after an additional share issue, and KTZ kept 49%. In mid-August 2026, the stake moved to TPH Logistics Group Ltd, a subsidiary registered in the AIFC. The company was renamed on 10.06.2026. The deputy minister said KTZ will continue to oversee the company despite its private shareholder.
Operator certificate
According to a reply from the Aviation Administration, as of 20.10.2026 the company had not submitted an application for an operator certificate. A pre-application meeting took place on 06.10, with a positive decision on filing. The 04.11 report says certification and permits are being processed.
What has not been announced
The funding amount, deal terms, lessor or seller, A340 variant and condition, the exact November delivery date and the year of the second delivery in the 29.10 statement have not been disclosed. It is not confirmed whether an operator certificate application was filed after 20.10. Routes, customers and the date of the first flight are unknown. It is not stated whether the investor will fund directly or through TPH Logistics Group.
Our assessment
The 29.10 and 04.11 statements complement each other but differ in detail: the first speaks of a signed A340 contract, the second says there are no aircraft and talks are ongoing. Commercial operations require an operator certificate, and there are no publicly confirmed timelines for it. The November delivery should therefore be treated as an expectation, not a fact. This is a flycentralasia conclusion, not a statement by the ministry.
What businesses should do
Forwarders and cargo operators should not build capacity or timelines around this airline until the certificate and schedule are published. Sary-Arka airport, ground handlers and maintenance providers should follow official announcements on basing and the first aircraft.