ALMATY – Kazakhstan and France have reached a preliminary agreement to establish a European-level regional aviation training center in Astana that will become a hub for advanced education and professional standards in civil aviation across Central Asia, the Ministry of Transport reported on Dec.7.
Astana will host the European-level regional aviation training center. Photo credit: Ministry of Transport
A Kazakh delegation led by Vice Minister of Transport Talgat Lastayev held a working meeting in France with Director of the French National School of Civil Aviation (ENAC) Olivier Chansou and Deputy Director Nicolas Kalazis.
According to Lastayev, the creation of a center will reduce Kazakhstan’s dependence on foreign aviation schools and allow the country to train highly qualified specialists domestically. The cooperation with ENAC will facilitate systematic professional development for aviation personnel and expand opportunities for knowledge exchange and adoption of international best practices.
Civil aviation in Kazakhstan has demonstrated steady growth in recent years, with passenger traffic rising and the aircraft fleet expanding. To sustain this trajectory, the country requires a consistent influx of trained professionals.
The annual demand of Kazakhstan’s aviation industry is estimated at 500–600 specialists, including pilots, engineers, air traffic controllers and ground operations personnel. However, existing aviation training centers in Kazakhstan currently do not meet the advanced European standards set by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
ENAC is recognized as the only aviation school to meet the requirements of ICAO, EASA, IATA, and the Airports Council International (ACI) simultaneously. Cooperation with this institution is expected to help Kazakhstan eliminate the shortage of qualified aviation professionals, enhance flight safety standards, strengthen regulatory oversight, and support the development of national aviation infrastructure.
As part of the visit, ENAC leadership conducted a tour of the school’s key facilities for the Kazakh delegation. Following the meeting, both sides agreed to continue joint work on the project.
Last Friday, Kazakhstan and Airbus signed a memorandum of understanding to deliver more A320neo aircraft in the form of 25 initial jets with an option for 25 more, following the 16th meeting of the Kazakhstan-France Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation.
