KUALA LUMPUR: Air Astana's first Boeing B787-9 Dreamliner is undergoing flight tests in the US ahead of the Kazakhstan flag carrier's plan to introduce three of the aircraft into service in 2027.
The airline said the aircraft, registered EI-KZA, completed its first test flight on Oct 1 at Boeing's facility in Charleston, South Carolina.
It will be delivered after all certification procedures have been completed.
"The arrival of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will mark an important milestone in Air Astana's fleet modernisation programme."
"The new long-haul aircraft will gradually replace the airline's existing Boeing 767-300ER fleet, contributing to greater operational efficiency and creating new opportunities to expand its international route network, while maintaining high standards of passenger comfort," Air Astana said in a statement today.
Aviation Business News reported on Oct 8 that Air Astana expects to receive its first B787-9 in December this year, followed by a second aircraft in January and a third in August 2027.
Kazakhstan's vice minister of transport Talgat Lastayev also confirmed the revised December delivery schedule on Oct 20, saying delays at Boeing had pushed back the aircraft's original September delivery date.
The B787-9 will be the first Dreamliner operated by Air Astana.
The new aircraft will support the airline's long-haul operations and plans to expand its international network.
Air Astana first announced its order for three Boeing B787-8 Dreamliners in February 2012, with deliveries originally scheduled for 2017 and 2019.
However, the deliveries were postponed several times.
In 2022, the airline signed an agreement with Air Lease Corporation for the long-term lease of three B787-9 Dreamliners, with deliveries initially scheduled to begin in the first half of 2025.
The delivery schedule was subsequently pushed back.
In February this year, Air Astana finalised a separate order with Boeing for up to 15 additional B787-9s, comprising five firm orders, five options and five purchase rights.
Deliveries are scheduled between 2032 and 2035, potentially increasing its Dreamliner fleet to 18 aircraft.
Air Astana Group chief executive officer Ibrahim Canliel said during the airline's first-quarter results briefing in May that the Dreamliner would initially operate shorter flights to allow pilots and engineers to familiarise themselves with the new aircraft.
New York is among the potential destinations for the Dreamliner.
Canliel told Business Times in July that the carrier is studying direct flights to the US but it needs to address several regulatory and operational requirements before launching the services.
"The United States is one of the destinations that we are looking at. For us to be able to fly to the US, a number of things need to happen.
"There is a certain routing that we need to take in order to be able to use the Great Circle route. There are a number of clearances that need to be achieved.
"If and when those are resolved, we will of course be looking at flights to the US," he said in the interview.
Canliel also said Air Astana remained interested in resuming direct flights to Kuala Lumpur, although other destinations currently rank higher in its network expansion plans due to aircraft capacity constraints and profitability considerations.
"Kuala Lumpur is just outside the range of our narrowbody aircraft," he said.
Meanwhile, Air Astana is scheduled to launch seasonal direct flights between Almaty and Langkawi from Dec 25, 2026, to March 27, 2027.
The service will operate three times weekly using an Airbus A321LR, marking the airline's return to Malaysia with its own scheduled flights.
Air Astana first launched direct flights between Almaty and Kuala Lumpur in October 2009 before suspending the service in March 2020 following the Covid-19 pandemic.
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