Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held a meeting with the Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Juan Carlos Salazar, who arrived in Astana to participate in Aviation Safety Week 2026. This is the first official visit of the ICAO Secretary General to Central Asian countries.

Further strengthening of Kazakhstan's cooperation with ICAO was discussed. Attention was paid to the large-scale reforms implemented in the country, aimed at ensuring sustainable progress in all priority sectors of the economy.

Olzhas Bektenov noted that Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev pays special attention to the development of Kazakhstan's transport and logistics potential, the formation of aviation hubs, and the strengthening of the country's transit role. Interaction with ICAO is of strategic importance for Kazakhstan's aviation industry.

Juan Carlos Salazar highly appreciated the country's achievements in ensuring aviation safety. Kazakhstan is among the top 20 countries in terms of the ICAO aviation safety level with an indicator of 95.7%. The Secretary General of ICAO stressed that Kazakhstan is making important decisions on the development and strengthening of airport and air navigation infrastructure, while the country's airlines are modernizing their fleet of aircraft and expanding the international route network.

Participants of the meeting noted the positive dynamics in the development of Kazakhstan's civil aviation. Over the past five years, the gross output of the aviation industry has grown 6.5 times, reaching $2.9 billion. Following the results of 2025, airport passenger traffic reached 31.8 million people, and the international route network expanded to 161 destinations.

The results achieved were made possible by the consistent implementation of international standards and the high professionalism of Kazakhstani specialists. To further unlock the potential of the industry, the importance of the Civil Aviation Master Plan of Kazakhstan until 2050 (CAMP-2050) currently under development was noted. The document will define strategic directions for modernizing the industry, forming aviation hubs, and increasing Kazakhstan's international competitiveness.

Following the meeting, Olzhas Bektenov and Juan Carlos Salazar confirmed their intention to strengthen cooperation and unite the joint efforts of Kazakhstan and ICAO to further enhance safety and ensure the sustainable development of civil aviation.

#Olzhas Bektenov #The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan #Civil aviation #International Cooperation

• 
• 
• 
•