The Air Astana, the national airline of Kazakhstan, has recently reached an agreement with the US company Pratt & Whitney for the supply of PW-1100G engines mounted on the 29 A-320neo aircraft. The air carrier's goal is to change the engines of these aircraft during 2024.

"To mitigate ongoing maintenance issues related to the PW-1100G engines, Air Astana has five spare engines and plans to obtain six additional powerplants by 2028. Additionally, the airline has access to Pratt & Whitney", said the company in a preliminary prospectus dated January 2024. This "will help address costs in a sustainable manner", it said in a document filed recently with the Kazakhstan stock exchange.

The agreement with the US engine company puts an end to the controversy over the E-190/E2 engines of the Brazilian company Embraer, which saw Air Astana withdraw the appeal and then move on to Pratt & Whitney engines. The Kazakh airline also announced that it has signed a lease contract for two A-320/200 aircraft, which are expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2025.