ALMATY – Kazakhstan is preparing to introduce aerotaxis, biometric passenger identification and artificial intelligence-powered cargo systems as part of a digital transformation of the country’s aviation sector, officials said during a government meeting on May 19.
Photo credit: gocomet.com
Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov instructed the Ministry of Transport to adopt legislation regulating urban air mobility, including aerotaxis and drones, by the end of June, saying Kazakhstan must prepare for the next generation of air transport technologies.
“Global regulators such as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in Europe and Federal Aviation Administration in the United States have developed certification rules for commercial aerotaxi aircraft. We must also be ready,” Bektenov said.
Domestic companies have also begun purchasing test unmanned aerial vehicles for future aerotaxi operations and are building landing sites and operational centers.
Biometric passenger systems expanding
Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev said Kazakhstan is scaling up its digital passenger control infrastructure through the Q-Gate system, which reduces passenger processing time from three minutes to just 50 seconds.
The system now operates at 16 airport terminals in Astana and Almaty. This year, another 16 terminals will be added in Shymkent, Atyrau, Aktobe and Aktau.
Authorities also plan to launch a pilot biometric boarding project on domestic flights between Astana and Shymkent. According to Sauranbayev, digitalization efforts are intended to simplify procedures, reduce congestion and improve the overall passenger experience as air traffic continues to grow.
AI to transform air cargo processing
Kazakhstan is also digitizing cargo aviation logistics through the international IATA e-Freight standard.
TransInfoTech CEO Malik Berdigaliyev said artificial intelligence tools will soon be integrated into cargo systems to automate processing of commercial documents, reducing manual data entry time from 30 minutes to just seconds.
The e-Freight platform is connected to 17 airports and 56 airlines across Kazakhstan, allowing the Civil Aviation Committee, the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan and border authorities to monitor cargo traffic in real time.
The system has also been integrated with the Ministry of Agriculture’s veterinary control platform, enabling domestic cargo transportation to shift to electronic air waybills.
Authorities are now integrating the platform with Kazakhstan’s customs system KEDEN to create fully paperless international cargo processing.
According to Berdigaliyev, the transition to electronic air waybills and automated customs procedures could significantly accelerate international logistics and strengthen Kazakhstan’s position as a regional transit hub.
Aviation education expands alongside digitalization
Kazakhstan is simultaneously expanding aviation education programs to support the sector’s technological transformation.
Vice Minister of Science and Higher Education Gulzat Kobenova said the number of government grants for aviation specialties increased from 180 in the 2022–2023 academic year to 618 in 2025–2026.
Enrollment at the Civil Aviation Academy rose from 1,438 students in 2022 to 2,478 students in 2025, an increase of more than 72%. Graduate employment rates stand at 90%.
Artificial intelligence and digital skills are also incorporated into aviation training. More than 1,000 students completed digital competency programs under the AI-SANA initiative, while over 2,000 students studied through Coursera platforms.
Bektenov instructed the Ministries of Science and Transport to establish an aviation training center meeting international standards and said the Civil Aviation Academy should begin producing globally recognized certified specialists for the rapidly modernizing industry.
Earlier, Kazakhstan hosted the Central Asia Aviation Summit in Astana on April 15, exploring opening windows of opportunity for the sector.
