Air Astana completes its Embraer E190-E2 delivery contract

The P4-KHE-registered aircraft is the fifth Е190-Е2 in Air Astana’s fleet and is configured with 12 business class seats and 96 in economy (Air Astana)

Kazakhstan’s state-run and largest carrier Air Astana has completed its contract for five new Embraer E190-E2s delivered from Irish leasing company AerCap. The last aircraft of the batch, with registration P4-KHE, joined the airline’s fleet on November 1 and has already entered commercial service.

Air Astana commenced its next-generation fleet renewal programme with the November 2016 delivery of an Airbus A320neo, the first in the CIS. For its short- and medium-haul fleet renewal Air Astana selected re-engined Embraer E190-E2s. The airline’s press representative told Russian Aviation Insider that the last original E190 that the new aircraft is replacing will leave Air Astana’s fleet in 2022. Two Embraer E190s, with leasing terms that expired earlier this year, have already been phased out.

Air Astana currently operates three Boeing 767-300ERs, four Boeing 757-200s and 12 Embraer E190s, including five Е190-E2s. Besides, there are 19 Airbus family aircraft – eight А320s, three A321s, three А320neos, four А321neos and an A321LR. Within the next year the Airbus fleet will benefit from 10 neo aircraft, whilst the A320ceos are gradually being transferred to FlyArystan, Air Astana’s low-cost subsidiary.

The airline also has three Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners on order, with deliveries scheduled for 2021. No further Embraer orders are currently planned, the airline said.