A US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) team began a five-day International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) of Kazakhstan on Sept. 21, running through Sept. 25, in a review whose outcome will determine whether Air Astana can proceed with its US Department of Transportation application to operate commercial services to the United States.

Deputy Minister of Transport Talgat Lastayev hosted the FAA experts in Astana ahead of the review, the Civil Aviation Committee's press service reported. The Ministry of Transport, the Civil Aviation Committee, the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan (AAK) and Kazakhstan's Embassy in the US are supporting the work.

Lastayev's meeting with the delegation covered both the IASA itself and broader cooperation on safety oversight and the development of direct air services between Kazakhstan and the US, according to the committee.

What does the IASA actually examine?

The International Aviation Safety Assessment is the FAA's standard tool for determining whether a foreign civil aviation authority meets International Civil Aviation Organization standards. Specialists in international aviation law, personnel licensing, airworthiness and flight operations are reviewing Kazakhstan's aviation legislation, regulatory framework and capacity to exercise effective safety oversight.

The team will measure Kazakhstan against ICAO's eight critical elements of a state safety oversight system, covering primary aviation legislation, specific operating regulations, the state regulatory organization, technical personnel qualifications, technical guidance, licensing, certification and continued airworthiness, and ongoing surveillance obligations. The review focuses on three ICAO areas: personnel licensing, international commercial air transport operations, and aircraft airworthiness.

Where does the 2024 work fit?

The current assessment follows a preliminary technical review the FAA conducted in Kazakhstan from Aug. 26 to 30, 2024. Since then, the Civil Aviation Committee and the FAA have continued preparatory work to address areas relevant to the country's aviation safety oversight system, the ministry said.

A Category 1 IASA result would allow Kazakh carriers to apply for US route authority. A Category 2 finding would require Kazakhstan to correct identified deficiencies before any of its operators could move forward with US services.

Why does Air Astana appear on the schedule?

The FAA team is scheduled to make a technical visit to Air Astana's Astana base on Sept. 24. The carrier has applied to the US Department of Transportation for authorization to conduct commercial operations in the US.

The Ministry of Transport described the visit as a verification of information Air Astana submitted to the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan as part of the transparency process. The ministry stressed that it is not an inspection of Air Astana as an air operator certificate holder; the carrier's AOC sits outside the state's IASA score.

Air Astana's DOT application is the commercial pivot of the assessment. Airlines that clear the IASA still must complete the DOT's economic and fitness review and obtain FAA part 129 operational authority before launching any trans-Pacific service.

What happens after Sept. 25?

When the on-site work ends, the FAA is expected to brief the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan and then provide a written report covering the areas reviewed.

Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport said the IASA represents an important step in strengthening the country's state aviation safety oversight system and in advancing work toward launching direct air services between Kazakhstan and the US.

The FAA's written findings, expected in the weeks following the on-site work, will set the regulatory baseline for whether Air Astana's US-bound application can advance under existing bilateral arrangements or whether Kazakhstan must return to address oversight gaps first.