BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 21. Kazakh Prime
Minister Olzhas Bektenov and International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar discussed
cooperation in civil aviation, including aviation safety, airport
infrastructure, and the development of Kazakhstan’s transit
potential, according to the Kazakh government.
Bektenov met with Salazar, who arrived in Astana to participate
in Aviation Safety Week 2026. The visit marks the first official
visit by an ICAO Secretary General to Central Asia.
During the meeting, the sides discussed further cooperation
between Kazakhstan and ICAO, focusing on reforms aimed at
supporting sustainable development across priority economic
sectors.
Bektenov noted that Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev pays
particular attention to developing the country’s transport and
logistics potential, establishing aviation hubs and strengthening
Kazakhstan’s role as a transit hub. He said cooperation with ICAO
was of strategic importance to Kazakhstan’s aviation industry.
Salazar praised Kazakhstan’s achievements in aviation safety.
Kazakhstan ranks among the world’s top 20 countries in aviation
safety, with a score of 95.7%, according to the Kazakh
government.
He also noted Kazakhstan’s efforts to develop airport and air
navigation infrastructure, while its airlines are modernizing their
fleets and expanding their international route networks.
The sides noted positive trends in Kazakhstan’s civil aviation
sector. Over the past five years, the sector’s gross output
increased 6.5 times to $2.9 billion. In 2025, passenger traffic at
the country’s airports reached 31.8 million, while the
international route network expanded to 161 destinations.
The government attributed these developments to the consistent
implementation of international standards and the professional
expertise of Kazakh specialists.
The sides also highlighted the importance of Kazakhstan’s Civil
Aviation Master Plan through 2050 (CAMP-2050), which is being
developed to guide the sector’s future growth. The plan is expected
to set strategic priorities for modernizing the industry,
developing aviation hubs and improving Kazakhstan’s international
competitiveness.
Following the meeting, Bektenov and Salazar reaffirmed their
intention to strengthen cooperation and coordinate efforts to
improve aviation safety and support the sustainable development of
civil aviation in Kazakhstan.
