Kazakhstan's Deputy Minister of Transport Talgat Lastayev said on 20 October 2026, on the sidelines of ICAO Aviation Security Week in Astana, that Kazakhstan expects to officially obtain the right to operate flights to the United States by the end of the year. The final report from US auditors is due in November. Direct flights, he said, could open in 2027.
What has been done
From 21 to 25 September 2026, Kazakhstan underwent the US Federal Aviation Administration's International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA). A team of seven or eight inspectors gave a high assessment of the country's civil aviation and its compliance with international standards at the final briefing. The FAA's official decision has not yet been published.
In July 2026, a team of experts from the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Cargo Recognition Team also visited Kazakhstan. They reviewed the national air cargo security system at the airports of Astana and Almaty. According to the Aviation Administration, the visit was described as a step in preparing for the launch of direct air service between the countries.
What comes next
— November 2026: final auditors' report; — by end of 2026: expected right to operate flights to the US; — December 2026: expected delivery of Air Astana's first Boeing 787-9, after which crews and equipment need to log a certain number of flight hours; — 2027: possible opening of a route.
Lastayev named New York — Astana as the route under consideration, with Astana as the priority departure point. The carrier was not named and ticket prices have not been set.
Context
The timeline has slipped before. In August 2024, the Civil Aviation Committee spoke of a launch in late 2025, which did not happen. In May 2026, Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbaev named the second quarter of 2027 for the US, and the Aviation Administration set the goal of obtaining FAA Category 1 in November 2026.
Our assessment: the schedule remains a plan. The key event in the coming weeks is publication of the FAA's final decision: until then, statements about flight dates remain expectations. This is flycentralasia's conclusion, not a statement by Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport or the FAA.
What businesses can do. Tour operators and corporate travel agents should not open sales on US flights before official announcements. Lessors and MRO providers can take into account that the long-haul 787-9 will enter service only in 2027. Airports in Astana and Almaty and cargo operators can prepare for TSA cargo security requirements.