Kazakhstan Eyes Greater ICAO Role Amid Global Aviation Challenges

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ASTANA — International Civil Aviation Organization Security Week 2026 kicked off in Astana on Oct. 20, bringing Kazakhstan’s bid for a seat on the ICAO Council, growing cybersecurity threats, aviation risks in conflict zones and prospects for direct flights between Kazakhstan and the United States into focus.

The three-day event has brought together more than 1,000 participants from 62 countries, including government officials, aviation regulators, airline executives and security experts.

“In 2027, ICAO will convene the third high-level conference on aviation security. The ideas that emerged from Astana will reach the global conversation as we prepare for it,” ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar said during the opening ceremony.

Beyond the conference’s contribution to global aviation security discussions, Salazar also addressed Kazakhstan’s bid to join the ICAO Council during a press briefing. The candidacy comes ahead of an extraordinary ICAO Assembly in Montreal on Nov. 19-20, when four additional members will be elected to the organization’s governing body, expanding it from 36 to 40 seats.

“The success of ICAO is always informed from the voices that every region of the world has in the ICAO Council. And in that regard, the aspiration of the candidature of Kazakhstan is very welcome and is very well rooted in the representation of the voices of the region,” he said.

Kazakhstan has been an ICAO member since 1992 and became the first Central Asian country to establish a permanent mission to the organization in 2024. According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport, the country has achieved a 95.7% effective implementation score under ICAO’s aviation security audit framework, placing it among the world’s top 20 countries by this measure.

Salazar said Kazakhstan was among the countries with the highest levels of compliance with international aviation security standards, supporting its potential as a regional hub for passenger and cargo transportation. He identified workforce development as a key priority for maintaining those standards, noting that Kazakhstan already has regulations and technology in place but needs to continue investing in training and attracting qualified personnel.

From cyberattacks to conflict zones: aviation’s changing threats

Opening the event, Salazar called for a fundamental shift in global aviation security, warning that emerging threats are evolving faster than traditional regulations can respond.

“Threat actors are adaptive. They learn, they innovate, and they exploit new technologies faster than regulation has traditionally moved. (…) Digitalization connects every part of our operations, and with it every vulnerability. Supply chains grow more complex every day. Airspace that was routine yesterday can become dangerous overnight,” he said.

Salazar emphasized that aviation authorities must increasingly anticipate threats rather than respond only after incidents occur, relying on intelligence-led risk assessments, faster information sharing and closer coordination between governments and the industry.

“So the ambition for this week and for the year ahead of us is to move from reacting to anticipating,” he said.

He also warned that even attempted attacks can trigger far-reaching economic consequences, forcing flight diversions, causing delays and disrupting travel and business operations.

“That means foresight. It means risk-based decisions informed by intelligence, where we understand not only the threat but also the vulnerabilities and consequences that together determine the risk. And it means working together earlier and sharing information faster between states, within states, and with the industry,” said Salazar.

The conference agenda includes discussions on cybersecurity across airports, airlines and air navigation systems, artificial intelligence in security screening, risks to flights operating over or near conflict zones, and the protection of international cargo and mail supply chains.

Participants will also examine the effectiveness of aviation security audits, workforce development and the challenges of sustaining security modernization with limited resources.

Direct U.S. flights, aviation expansion

Speaking to reporters, Kazakh Vice Minister of Transport Talgat Lastayev said direct flights between Kazakhstan and the U.S. could begin in 2027, subject to regulatory approval and operational preparations.

“A few weeks ago, Kazakhstan was visited by a team of auditors from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration [FAA]. There were approximately seven or eight inspectors who worked here for a week, and at the final briefing, they gave a fairly positive assessment of our civil aviation system and its compliance with international standards,” he said.

The FAA conducted its International Aviation Safety Assessment in Kazakhstan on Sept. 21-25, examining the country’s aviation safety oversight system and compliance with applicable ICAO standards. Lastayev said the official report is expected in November, with Kazakhstan aiming to secure authorization for flights to the U.S. by the end of 2026.

“We expect to receive a Dreamliner in December, a long-haul aircraft capable of operating such flights. Before it can enter service, flight crews and technical personnel need to accumulate a certain number of operating hours. I think that over the course of next year, provided all these conditions are met, we expect to launch a direct flight,” he said.

According to Lastayev, New York is being considered as the destination in the U.S, while Astana is the priority departure point in Kazakhstan. When asked whether the route would be commercially viable, he expressed confidence in its long-term profitability, citing growing economic and investment ties between the two countries. Ticket prices have yet to be determined.

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