Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov signed decree No. 349 on 16 October 2026, lifting the moratorium on registering new airlines and issuing them operator certificates. The moratorium was introduced by decree No. 315 of 4 November 2024 and lasted almost two years. The new decree takes effect 10 days after official publication.
What changes
The decision resumes registration and certification of new carriers. It does not exempt them from full certification: new companies must meet all established requirements.
Kyrgyzstan's State Agency of Civil Aviation proposed lifting the moratorium back in September 2026. It said the checks and other measures for which the moratorium was introduced are complete, the violations found were corrected under its control, and the moratorium's goals have been met. The agency said oversight continues on a permanent basis using a risk-based approach, and violations result in orders with deadlines for correction.
Why the moratorium was introduced
The 2024 decree provided for checks of existing carriers, including those operating only outside Kyrgyzstan and those whose aircraft had not been based at the country's airports for over a month. Companies that did not comply could lose their registration and certificates.
Context
In June 2026, Kyrgyz airlines were removed from the EU air safety list of carriers banned from operating in the bloc. The restrictions had been in place since 2006 and were linked to shortcomings in state flight-safety oversight. From 30 September to 7 October 2026, an ICAO mission assessed state safety oversight in the country. The agency said there are no critical remarks.
Our assessment: lifting the moratorium is the next step after the EU delisting and the ICAO mission. The date the decree takes effect depends on its official publication, so new companies can apply for certification only after that. This is flycentralasia's conclusion, not a statement by the Kyrgyz authorities.
What businesses can do. Prospective carriers and investors can study operator-certificate requirements and the procedure in advance. Lessors and MRO companies can watch for applications and market interest. Tour operators can follow new regional and charter carrier projects.