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Air Astana to lease five Embraer jets
Kazakhstan’s national carrier Air Astana has signed a long-term lease agreement for five Embraer E190-E2 jets, as it looks to expand market share in Central Asia.
It will start taking delivery of the jets from AerCap during the final quarter of 2018.
The E2 variant of the E190 aircraft will offer significant cost efficiencies, said Peter Foster, CEO of Air Astana.
"The acquisition of the E2 is the logical replacement of the E190, which we have been successfully operating since 2011. The E190 has enabled us to open up smaller markets in southern Russia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia including smaller domestic routes," Foster said.
AerCap is the launch lessor customer of Embraer’s E2 second generation aircraft, with 50 Embraer E190-E2s and E195-E2s currently on order.
"The E2 aircraft offer greater range and operational efficiency which will support Air Astana’s growing network and open new market opportunities," said AerCap president and CCO Philip Scruggs.
Meanwhile Air Astana announced operational results for the first half of 2017, carrying more than 1.8 million passengers through June 2017.
Overall passenger traffic increased by 12% for the period, with international passenger numbers growing 22%.
This was fuelled by a big jump of 62% of transit traffic through its international hub airports in Astana and Almaty.
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