A team of US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) auditors has arrived in Kazakhstan to assess the country's readiness for direct flights to the United States. Deputy Transport Minister Talgat Lastayev announced the visit on September 18: "Tomorrow a solid team of auditors from the US Federal Aviation Agency arrives to check Kazakhstan for US flight permissions."
The review is being conducted under the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program, through which the FAA evaluates whether a country's aviation authority oversight meets ICAO's international safety standards. Passing the assessment is a required condition for Kazakh carriers to be authorized to fly to the US.
Air Astana has previously announced plans to launch direct US flights, tentatively in 2027; no exact date has been set, and the timeline depends on the outcome of the FAA assessment, the necessary permits, and aircraft availability. Preparations for the audit have been underway for several years; in August 2026, Kazakhstan's Aviation Administration and the US Embassy already discussed civil aviation cooperation.