OREANDA-NEWS.  September 17, 2013. Air Astana has taken delivery of a second Airbus A320 equipped with Sharklet winglets that boost fuel efficiency. The new A320 is the fifth out of six aircraft ordered from Airbus during the official visit of Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan, to France in 2008. The sixth aircraft from this order will be delivered in November 2013.

In keeping with the tradition of naming new aircraft after distinguished Kazakh women, the latest A320 is called “Gaziza” in honour of the famous composer Gaziza Zhubanova.

“Air Astana is delighted to take delivery of its second Airbus A320 airliner equipped with “sharklet” winglets, that significantly improve aerodynamic efficiency, offer lowers fuel consumption and reduces environmental impact”, said Peter Foster, President of Air Astana. “This latest delivery reflects the airline’s strategic commitment to operating a young fleet of efficient, reliable and comfortable aircraft”.

The new aircraft will be operated on Air Astana’s domestic and medium range international network and is configured with 16 business class and 132 economy class seats.