Kazaviaspas (Almaty International), an airline subordinate to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations, is looking to create a new fixed-wing fleet by implementing a model similar to that used in Canada, the carrier outlined in a statement on its website.
A meeting to discuss the issue was chaired on January 15 by emergencies deputy minister Baurzhan Syzdykov and attended by Kazaviaspas board members as well as representatives of the ministries of defence, finance, health, industry, and transport, the country’s civil aviation authority, business charter carrier Euro-Asia Air (EAK, Atyrau), and training centre Aviator.
The priority “is the introduction of modern aircraft that meet the requirements of flight safety and quality,” and a presentation at the meeting included input from aviation experts and manufacturers, the release outlined.
A development programme already in place for Kazaviaspas for the period covering 2020 to 2029 provides for the purchase of 58 aircraft, specifically 32 helicopters and 26 fixed-wing aircraft - the latter consisting of “two jet aircraft, four aircraft for interregional flights, and 20 aircraft for regional flights.”
It was agreed at the meeting that “most optimal for Kazakhstan is the implementation of the model used in Canada, which has similar geographical and climatic conditions, where a small and ultralight aviation fleet performs a significant number of special-purpose flights. These vessels have a passenger capacity of up to 19 people and a maximum take-off weight of no more than 5.7 tons, and have a low cost of acquisition and cost in flight hours compared with helicopters.”
The statement said that “aircraft with standard passenger, sanitary, cargo, and amphibious variants,” in particular those with “the advantages of a short take-off and landing,” were considered at the meeting.
Kazaviaspas engages mainly in carrying the ministry’s personnel and cargo, firefighting, forestry, medevac, search and rescue, and aerial survey flights. Its fleet currently consists of E145 Airbus Helicopters but it has in the past operated various types of Soviet-era Tupolev Design Bureau and Ilyushin Design Bureau aircraft.
