Astana airport has stopped buying jet fuel itself and now works with fuel operators. This was stated by airport representative Seidakhmetov. According to him, the related fees have been halved since 1 August, and the full-year passenger growth forecast has been cut from 8% to 4%. The airport's goal is to reach minimum profit.
For 2025 the airport posted a loss of 6.9 billion tenge. The accumulated uncovered loss, including previous years, stood at 36 billion tenge at the end of 2025. An anti-crisis programme has been launched to reach break-even: tariffs are being reviewed for economic justification, efficiency is being raised and service costs reduced. At the same time, the model for selling jet fuel is changing.
In the first half of 2026 the result was affected by higher jet fuel costs, runway repairs and cancelled international flights. According to the airport representative, passenger traffic grew by 1.3% to 5.4 million from January to July 2026. About 1,100 flights were cancelled because of the situation in the Middle East.
To reach the full-year growth forecast of 4% from +1.3% in seven months, a noticeable acceleration in the second half will be required.
Our assessment: the change in the fuel model and the fee cut show that the airport is seeking a balance between revenue and attractiveness to carriers. For fuel operators this is a chance to establish themselves at one of the region's largest hubs; for airlines it is grounds to negotiate tariffs. This is flycentralasia's conclusion, not a statement by the airport.