OREANDA-NEWS. On May 06, 2008 Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport and Communications held a sitting on the civil aviation industry results in the Q1 2008 and its prospects for the rest of the year, reported the Official website http://en.government.kz.

The sitting presided over by Vice Minister of Transport Mr. Azat Bekturov was attended by representatives of the Committee for Civil Aviation, those of airlines and airports and the Association of Ultralight Aviation.

In the Q1 2008 civil aviation players have seen continuing growth of major indicators. About 596000 passengers turned to Kazakhstan-based airlines for air service, 31 % up year-on-year. The total of handled cargoes made up 3.8 thousand tons, 75 % up year-on-year.

As of now, 7 airlines perform regular flights along 43 domestic routes, including 5 domestic airlines. There’s a growing demand for connecting flights between country regions and inside individual regions, which necessitates new domestic routes. Therefore, Governors’ offices of Atyrau, Mangystau and Karaganda oblasts are interested in launching regional flights.

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport and Communications is in talks with Bombardier and Embraer concerns that are ready to deliver regional aircraft starting from 2010.

Further growth of air carriage hinges on development of airports’ infrastructure.

In the Q1 2008, Kazakhstan’s airports handled over 927000 passengers, 22% up year-on-year, while handled cargoes, luggage and post grew by 10% to reach 17000 tons.

Works have been completed to construct a second runaway of the new airport of Almaty; the runaway is to be commissioned in the Q3 2008. In the current year, funds will be allocated out of the state budget to overhaul the runaway of the Kzylorda airport. Reconstruction of the Aktobe terminal is also to be completed in the current year.

Closing the sitting, the attending aviation officials set tasks to enhance Kazakhstan’s aviation image. In particular, they pledged to strive for greater flight safety and upgrade aviation engineering service.