Air Astana presented its first Airbus A321 Long Range (LR) aircraft at a ceremony held in the airline’s technical centre at Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport . The airline is the first operator of the aircraft in the CIS and is scheduled to take a further six Airbus A321LR aircraft on lease from Aercap of the United States.
The new Airbus A321LR aircraft will gradually replace the fleet of Boeing 757s, which have been in operation since 2003.
Air Astana now has 19 Airbus aircraft in its fleet, including eight A320, four A321, three A320neo, three A321neo and one A321LR.The average age of Air Astana’s fleet is now 7.1 years, one of the lowest in the industry.
“The arrival of the A321LR represents another major step in the process of fleet modernization, with the new aircraft offering the latest technologies, low emissions & noise, operational efficiency and passenger comforts,” said Peter Foster, President and CEO of Air Astana. “The specification of the Business Class flat beds, Economy Class slim seats and other cabin amenities will ensure that passengers experience the very highest standards of comfort and service on routes to Western Europe, Southeast Asia, Moscow, Dubai, Istanbul and Beijing.”
The lie-flat business class seats are equipped with individual 16-inch screens, with four of 16 seats offering additional personal space. In the economy class, the Recaro seats provide increased comfort for long flights and are equipped with individual 10-inch screens. The design of the interior trim, curtains and seat covers for both business and economy classes have been specially developed for Air Astana, with a combination of elegance and sophistication that embraces a clear national identity.
The A321LR cabin is equipped with a Zodiac (RAVE) in-flight entertainment system, which is in common with all other Airbus and Boeing aircraft in the fleet.
The aircraft is equipped with the latest generation Pratt & Whitney engines, which reduce fuel consumption by 20%, maintenance costs by 5%, carbon emissions by 20% and noise levels by 50% compared with current generation of aircraft.
During the presentation of the new aircraft, Air Astana announced a donation of US$20,000 to the National Board of Paralympics, with funds to be allocated for the development and promotion of Paralympic sports in Kazakhstan and for the training of Kazakhstan Paralympic athletes participating in international sports events.
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