Board Changes
Summary by AI BETAClose X
11 February 2026
Board Changes
Almaty, Kazakhstan - Air Astana JSC (the "Company" and, together with its subsidiary FlyArystan, the "Group"), the largest airline group in Central Asia and the Caucasus regions by revenue and fleet size, today announces a change to the Board of Directors (the "Board") of the Company.
Further to the resolution passed at the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company held on 9 February 2026 Bakhytzhan Taubayev was elected as a member of the Board of Directors, representing National Welfare Fund "Samruk-Kazyna" JSC. The decision is in line with the Company's Board succession planning and updated shareholder structure. Simon Wood, as the representative of BAE Systems PLC, has stepped down from the Board, effective from 9 February 2026.
Mr. Taubayev has since been appointed as a Non-Executive Director, effective from 9 February 2026.
Mr. Taubayev is Co-Managing Director for Strategy and Asset Management at Samruk-Kazyna, a position held since April 2025. He has more than 17 years of experience in the oil and gas industry across senior engineering and management roles, including Director of Production, First Deputy General Director and Head of Production Units. From 2023 to 2025, Mr. Taubayev served as Director of the Gas Industry Department at the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan. He holds a Master's degree from the Kazakh-British Technical University and the Polytechnic University of Turin.
Commenting on the Board changes, Mr. Nurlan Zhakupov, Chairman of the Board, said: "We are pleased to welcome Mr. Taubayev to the Board as a Non-Executive Director. His diverse experience will be of significant value to the Board, as it oversees the execution of the Company's long-term strategy.
"On behalf of the Board, management team and staff of the airline, I would also like to thank Mr. Wood for his commitment to the Board and valuable contribution to the Company."
The current updated composition of the Board of Directors is as follows:
1. Mr. Nurlan Zhakupov - Chairman of the Board of Directors (Samruk-Kazyna JSC);
2. Mr. Aidar Ryskulov - Member of the Board of Directors (Samruk-Kazyna JSC);
3. Mr. Bakhytzhan Taubayev - Member of the Board of Directors (Samruk-Kazyna JSC);
4. Mr. Peter Foster - Member of the Board of Directors (CEO, Air Astana JSC, until 31 March 2026);
5. Mr. Ibrahim Canliel - Member of the Board of Directors (CEO, Air Astana JSC, from 01 April 2026);
6. Mr. Yeldar Abdrazakov - Independent Director;
7. Mrs. Janet Heckman - Independent Director;
8. Mr. Garry Kingshott - Independent Director;
9. Mr. Keith Gaebel - Independent Director;
10. Mr. Diyas Assanov - Independent Director.
For further information, please contact:
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About the Air Astana Group
Air Astana Group is the largest airline group in Central Asia and the Caucasus regions by revenue and fleet size. The Group operates a fleet of 62 aircraft split between Air Astana, its full-service airline that operated its inaugural flight in 2002, and FlyArystan, its low-cost airline established in 2019. The Group provides scheduled, point-to-point and transit, short-haul and long-haul air travel and cargo on domestic, regional and international routes across Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Far East, the Middle East, India and Europe. Air Astana has been recognised by SkyTrax as the Best Airline in Central Asia & CIS fourteen years running and received the Best Airline Staff Service in Central Asia & CIS award nine times in a row. FlyArystan was recognised as the Best Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) in Central Asia & CIS at the SkyTrax awards three times. Additionally, Air Astana was awarded a five-star rating in the major airline category by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX). The Group is listed on the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange, Astana International Exchange and London Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: AIRA).
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