Air Astana is an Irish company: A lawmaker expressed outrage over the "nationality" of the airline's fleet.

“We know that Air Astana's fleet was registered in the Caribbean, specifically in Aruba. Later, all aircraft were registered in Ireland. According to Article 17 of the Convention on Civil Aviation, aircraft have the nationality of the state in which they are registered. This means that 50 aircraft of Air Astana are registered in Ireland. Based on the aforementioned convention requirements, Air Astana is essentially an Irish company. We are allocating billions from the budget to support a non-Kazakh company,” stated Bakytzhan Bazarbek during the government hour in the Mazhilis.

He noted that, according to Article 18 of the Convention on Civil Aviation, double registration is prohibited.

“It's like dual citizenship. According to Article 20 of the Cape Town Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment, registration in one state is done with the consent of the other party. Did our government approve the registration of the aircraft in Ireland? The answer is clear: in 2012, our government ratified and practically signed a document allowing Air Astana to register its entire fleet in Ireland, and Kazakhstan agreed to this. So why are we spending billions to support a national airline? It is an Irish airline,” the deputy concluded.

According to Bakytzhan Bazarbek, Ireland has the status of an international center for the aviation leasing industry, and the country does not require certification for aviation leasing activities.

“The corporate tax rate for aviation leasing companies is 1.25 percent. Being in Ireland is beneficial, but there is a significant risk that in case of a critical moment, these aircraft will remain in Ireland. Please do not take offense — these are national interests. When you meet with the lords in the House of Commons, you respond differently, presenting all the materials. But this is the national parliament, the Mazhilis, and you should respect the people. The people have suffered from Air Astana's activities,” the deputy stated, addressing the head of Air Astana, Peter Foster.

Earlier, during the government hour in the Mazhilis, Deputy Edil Zhanbyrshin expressed his dissatisfaction with Peter Foster quite harshly.

Recall that in mid-December, Mazhilis deputy Bakytzhan Bazarbek faced a flight delay with Air Astana. He posted his complaint on his Facebook page. According to him, the airline continues to mistreat its customers, as his flight No. 621 from Almaty to Astana was not only rescheduled from 10:30 to 13:40 but also failed to provide waiting passengers with meal vouchers on time.

The deputy emphasized that this irresponsible attitude reflects the management's disregard for passenger rights and the weak laws of the country that have been enacted and continue to be enacted. He reminded that when it comes to registered aircraft of the airline, the purchase of aviation fuel, in such cases, top management tries by all means to “extinguish” the unpleasant issue as early as possible, while lobbyists call and operate quietly, assuring support from influential individuals.