Eminyakeni engu-17 edlule, i-Air Astana iye yakhula yaba inkampani yenethiwekhi ehamba phambili e-Asia Emaphakathi, enedumela lamazinga aphezulu okuphepha, ubuhle besevisi, ukusungula izinto ezintsha kanye nemikhumbi yesimanje. Selokhu indiza yokuqala yenziwa phakathi kwe-Almaty ne-Nur-Sultan (eyayiyi-Astana phambilini) ngomhla ziyi-15 kuNhlaba wezi-2002, inkampani yezindiza ithwale ingqikithi yabagibeli abayizigidi ezingu-44 futhi yenza cishe izindiza ezingu-500,000. Inethiwekhi yomzila we-Air Astana okwamanje inabela ezindizeni ezingaphezu kuka-60 zamazwe ngamazwe nezasekhaya, kanti umkhumbi wemikhumbi uhlanganisa izindiza ezingama-34 i-Airbus, i-Boeing ne-Embraer.
I-Air Astana yasungulwa ngo-2001 ngesinyathelo sikaMongameli Wokuqala waseKazakhstan, uNursultan Nazarbayev, owabeka umsebenzi wokwakha inkampani yezindiza esezingeni lomhlaba ukuthuthukisa ezokuthutha ngezindiza ezindizeni zasekhaya nezamazwe ngamazwe ngokuhambisana nezindinganiso zobuchwepheshe bamazwe ngamazwe kanye nokunikeza ithuba ukuqeqeshwa kwezakhamizi zaseKazakhstan.
Uhulumeni waseRiphabhulikhi yaseKazakhstan kanye nenkampani yase-UK, i-BAE Systems PLC itshale imali eyizigidi ezingu-US$17 kunkampani yezindiza ekuqaleni. Kusukela ngo-2002, i-Air Astana ikhokhele izintela ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezingu-US$435 nezinye izinkokhelo kwisabelomali sikahulumeni futhi idale imisebenzi yochwepheshe engaphezu kuka-5,000. Ukukhula kwenkampani kufinyelelwe ngokuphelele ngezimali zangaphakathi nezibolekiwe, ngaphandle kwezidingo kusabelomali sikahulumeni, okwenza inkampani yezindiza ibe enye yezimali ezitshalwe yizwe ezinenzuzo kakhulu.
I-Air Astana isaqhubeka nokuqasha abantu abasha abanephupho lokuba abashayeli bezindiza ngaphansi kohlelo lwenkampani yezindiza i-ab-initio. Kusukela ngo-2009, i-Air Astana isiqeqeshe abashayeli bezindiza baseKazakh ab-initio abangaphezu kuka-200 ezikoleni ezihlonishwayo zendiza zamazwe ngamazwe.
NgoMeyi kulo nyaka, i-Air Astana yathatha isinyathelo esikhulu ngokwethula i-FlyArystan, inkampani yezindiza ebiza kancane. I-FlyArystan yadalelwa ukukhuthaza imakethe yasekhaya futhi ihehe ingxenye ebanzi yabantu baseKazakh ukuthi bahambe ngendiza futhi basebenzele amazwe ngamazwe ngokuzayo. Kulo nyaka kuphinde kwaphawula ukufika kwendiza yesibili ye-Air Astana i-Embraer 190-E2, kanye nokulethwa kwezinye izindiza ezintathu ekupheleni kuka-2019. Ukulethwa kwendiza entsha ye-Airbus A320neo nakho kuyaqhubeka, kanti izindiza eziyi-13 zihlelelwe ukuthi zifike ekupheleni kuka-2020. .
Ukuzibophezela kwe-Air Astana kokuletha amazinga aphezulu kakhulu okuhlangenwe nakho kwabagibeli kuye kwaqashelwa yiwebhusayithi yezokuvakasha yomhlaba wonke i-TripAdvisor unyaka wesibili ngokulandelana, inkampani yezindiza iqanjwe ngokuthi “I-Regional Asian Carrier” engcono kakhulu ye-“Passenger Comfort in Asia” . I-Air Astana futhi iwine kasikhombisa indondo ye-Skytrax ye-Best Airline e-Central Asia nase-India.
