Kazakhstan will launch its first national cargo airline in early 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen its role as a regional aviation hub, the head of the Samruk-Kazyna national welfare fund said on Wednesday.

Three aircraft will be leased initially, with plans to expand the fleet to 10 over time, in line with international practice, according to Nurlan Zhakupov, chairman of the fund’s management board.

Measures are also being taken to ensure a guaranteed fuel supply to support profitability, he said.

The project is driven by the growth of the global air cargo market, which currently stands at 57.7 million tons annually, with around 15% of shipments passing through Kazakhstan’s airspace, according to officials.

Bektenov urged authorities to speed up preparations for the launch, in line with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s directive to strengthen Kazakhstan’s position as the region’s leading aviation hub.

“Comprehensive work is underway to develop airport infrastructure and domestic transport. The project to create a cargo airline is one of the key ones. Its implementation will enable the reorientation of transit flows to Kazakhstan and strengthen our position in the cargo air transportation market,” Bektenov said.

Kazakh airlines carried 7.2 million passengers in the first half of 2025, a 6% rise from a year earlier, while total passenger traffic at airports increased to 14.4 million, Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev said. Domestic air travel operates on 61 routes with 849 weekly flights.

Kazakhstan has renovated 20 runways and 19 terminals in recent years and built a new airport in Turkistan.

Sixteen new aircraft are expected to be added to the fleet this year, six of which have already been acquired.

By 2030, the fleet is projected to reach 221 aircraft.

Thirty-six new routes are planned to open or resume in 2025.

The government expects $2.9 billion in investment in the aviation sector, covering new airports in Katon-Karagai, Zaisan, Kenderli, and Arkalyk, as well as the reconstruction of 10 runways, 10 terminals, and the modernization of airport equipment.

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