In 2025, Qazaq Air plans to operate subsidized air routes on seven socially significant destinations across Kazakhstan, reports a correspondent from the Kapital.kz business information center, citing the airline's press service.
"Tickets for these routes will be sold at special rates to enhance the accessibility of regional air travel. Schedule information will be provided later," the company's press service explained.
Qazaq Air will operate flights on the following routes, with prices listed one way:
Astana – Pavlodar – Astana (4 times a week). Ticket price – 15,000 tenge;
Astana – Petropavlovsk – Astana (daily). Ticket price – 15,000 tenge;
Turkestan — Kostanay – Turkestan (2 times a week). Ticket price - 31,000 tenge;
Turkestan — Karaganda – Turkestan (2 times a week). Ticket price - 20,000 tenge;
Zhezkazgan – Karaganda – Zhezkazgan (4 times a week). Ticket price - 10,000 tenge;
Zhezkazgan — Shymkent – Zhezkazgan (3 times a week). Ticket price – 18,000 tenge.
Almaty — Kokshetau – Almaty (3 times a week). Ticket price – 33,000 tenge.
Children under 14 years old will receive a 50% discount on air tickets. Additionally, the ticket price includes the allowance for hand luggage up to 5 kg and checked baggage up to 20 kg. Changes to the flight date and ticket refunds are allowed without penalties.
It is worth noting that in May 2024, the Kazakh state fund "Samruk-Kazyna" announced the sale of its subsidiary airline Qazaq Air to the Vietnamese Sovico Group. According to the state holding, the Sovico Group plans to acquire at least 20 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing for Qazaq Air over the next five years, with a maximum goal of acquiring 50 planes. It was announced that the amount of direct foreign investments would exceed 1 billion dollars. The first aircraft from the Vietnamese Sovico Group were expected to join the Qazaq Air fleet in 2025. In August, it was stated that the deal for the sale of Qazaq Air would be finalized in September of this year. In December, the co-manager for strategy and asset management, a board member of "Samruk-Kazyna," Yelzhas Otynshiev, mentioned that the fund and the government could approve the deal for the sale of the controlling stake in the airline by the end of 2024.
It should be noted that in mid-August 2023, "Samruk-Kazyna" announced the launch of trading for the sale of 49-100% of Qazaq Air shares, with a starting price set at 10.2 billion tenge. The application deadline was scheduled to end on September 28, with the results of the two-stage competition planned to be announced on December 15. The application deadline was extended several times thereafter. On November 14, it became known that "Samruk-Kazyna" declared the competition unsuccessful. A repeated competition in January 2024 was also deemed unsuccessful.
Qazaq Air was established in 2015, is 100% owned by the state fund "Samruk-Kazyna," and holds approximately 7% of the Kazakh air market. The fleet consists of five Bombardier DHC-8-Q400NG aircraft.
Sovico Group is one of the largest diversified conglomerates in Vietnam, operating in the energy, construction, banking, financial sectors, and the aviation industry.