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ASTANA – Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov met with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar in Astana on Oct. 21 to discuss strengthening cooperation on aviation safety, infrastructure development and the country’s transit potential.
Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov meets with ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar in Astana on Oct. 21. Photo credit: PM’s press service.
During the meeting, Bektenov highlighted the strategic importance of cooperation with ICAO as Kazakhstan seeks to strengthen its transport and logistics potential, develop aviation hubs and expand its role as a regional transit center.
Salazar praised Kazakhstan’s progress in aviation safety. According to him, the country ranks among the world’s top 20 states under ICAO’s aviation safety assessment, with a score of 95.7%. He also noted Kazakhstan’s efforts to develop airport and air navigation infrastructure, while domestic airlines are modernizing their fleets and expanding international routes.
Kazakhstan’s civil aviation sector has recorded significant growth in recent years. Over the past five years, the industry’s gross output increased 6.5 times to $2.9 billion. In 2025, the country’s airports handled 31.8 million passengers, while the international route network expanded to 161 destinations.
The officials attributed these results to the consistent implementation of international standards and the expertise of Kazakh aviation professionals. They also highlighted the importance of the Civil Aviation Development Master Plan through 2050, which is currently being developed. The document is expected to set strategic priorities for modernizing the sector, establishing aviation hubs and strengthening Kazakhstan’s international competitiveness.
Bektenov and Salazar reaffirmed their commitment to closer cooperation between Kazakhstan and ICAO to further improve aviation safety and support the sustainable development of civil aviation.
Salazar arrived in Kazakhstan to attend Aviation Safety Week 2026. His visit marks the first official visit by an ICAO secretary general to a Central Asian country, according to the prime minister’s press service.
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