OREANDA-NEWS. On 05 March 2008 was announced, that JSC Air Astana organized the Press Tour "Flight Safety and Comfort: Personnel Policy, Flight Attendant Service, and Flight Planning" devoted to flight safety and some aspects constituting this process.

The idea of the event occurred in view of public's great interest to the role of flight attendants during the flight. The purpose of the Press Tour was to show that the duties of cabin crew include not only the care of passengers, but also ensuring their safety. The program of the event consisted of the speakers' graphical presentations, tours of the training center, briefing with flight attendants of the air company, interactive communication and meetings with Peter Foster, Air Astana's President.

Aigul Tashbayeva, Air Astana Recruiting and Development Manager, introduced the features of the air company recruiting process and key competences of flight attendants to the participants.

Bridget Bernreuder, Air Astana Training and Standards Manager, gave detailed information on flight attendants training: "Air Astana conducts trainings at one of the best European flight attendant training centers - Condor Training Center (Frankfurt, Germany) and at the Air Astana Training Center (Almaty, Kazakhstan). The training process is organized with the use of emergency and rescue means at an aircraft simulator and in a specially equipment pool, creating maximally realistic conditions".

Vladislav Bagranov, Air Astana Training Manager, introduced the presentation devoted to preparation of flight attendants for independent flights, pre-flight preparation, and main aspects of crew members' work and rest. "Before a flight, flight attendants undergo compulsory medical examination, and full medical examination is carried out on a quarter and annual basis at the Medical Center of the Civil Aviation Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The schedule of crew members' work and rest is regulated by the Provision on Working Time for Aircraft Crews, the last version of which is approved by the Civil Aviation Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan on December 21, 2007," Mr. Bagranov says.

The issues of crew planning became the subject of the speech of Marat Ashimov, Air Astana Planning Specialist: "Air Astana is the only carrier in the territory of CIS to use the world-known computer programme AIMS for crew planning. The Air Astana staff received special training abroad for the use of this program".

Currently, 670 flight attendants are employed by Air Astana, serving 25 domestic and 21 international routes. As the air company is one of the world's most rapidly growing airlines pursuing the most ambitious objectives, such as leadership in the territory of CIS, expansion of the air fleet to 63 aircraft and the staff to 9,000 people by 2022, special attention will be paid to the personnel policy, and in particular to working conditions of aircraft crews.

"Air Astana" is a full member of IATA and a single airline in Kazakhstan certified for fulfillment of the aircrafts maintenance on European standards EASA/ Part 145.

Air Astana is a joint venture between Samruk State Holding (51%) and BAE Systems (49%).  The Air Astana fleet consists of Boeing 767s, Boeing 757s, Airbus A320s, Airbus A321 and Fokker-50 aircraft.