Deputy to Air Astana's head: We're not indigenous people in Africa to be laughed at.

“Regarding Air Astana, our deputies are raising questions, but the airline acts like the god of our skies. It’s unclear why ticket prices increase as the date approaches. On the contrary, prices should decrease. Foster (the head of the airline, Peter Foster — Note from Total.kz), remember that you are in Kazakhstan. You must operate according to the laws of Kazakhstan,” said Edil Zhanbyrshin, addressing issues related to the development of the country's transport sector during a session.

He cited one of his flights as an example, stating that the plane arrived with a 12-hour delay, yet he still has not received any compensation. According to him, airlines need to simplify the claims process, as their system is overly complicated and can only be navigated by highly advanced computer users.

“They have unclear requirements, including that I should not disclose the information they provide me. Regarding the law: simplify it, I want to say, so that a person can easily submit a claim for compensation and receive it without hassle. There are a million requirements. To get this compensation, you need to be a super IT specialist,” said Zhanbyrshin.

He also pointed out that the multimedia on board this airline is mostly in English; however, since the company operates in Kazakhstan, they should not disregard the state language.

“Why? It is necessary for them to be in Kazakh, as they are flying in Kazakhstan. We consider Air Astana our domestic airline, yet the Kazakh language is overlooked. Mr. Foster, this is your first time in parliament, and this is the first question you are being asked, yet you appear to show a lack of respect for Kazakhstan's legislation. I know you love money, but you must understand that prices should not rise to 160,000. This is unacceptable. Ministry (Ministry of Transport — Note from Total.kz), I want to tell you: you need to look at how our airlines operate, and there should be a rapid response mechanism for compensation. Don't mock us; we are not aborigines in Africa to be laughed at. This is parliament. We all represent the people,” emphasized the member of parliament.

He was supported by another deputy, Bakytzhan Bazarbek, who already complained about a delayed flight from the airline not through social media, but directly during the session to Peter Foster.

“There are many problematic issues regarding Air Astana. Edil Zhanbyrshin is right: he should respect the place where he is now. I have met Mr. Foster several times. To be honest, I experienced an 8-hour delay. He walked past people, entered the lounge bar, and there he drank his coffee. I approached him and said that people were waiting, but he replied that he would not, and would just send a representative instead. Do you know why? It turns out he didn’t want to. Once again, I want to say: there is a good saying ‘shańyraqqa qara’, which means to respect the place where you are,” said Bazarbek.

Recall that in mid-December, member of parliament Bakytzhan Bazarbek faced a delay with a flight from Air Astana. He posted his complaint on his Facebook page. According to him, the airline continues to mistreat its customers, and 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 in a timely manner.

The deputy emphasized that this irresponsible behavior reflects the top management's disregard for passengers' 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, or the purchase of aviation fuel, top management makes every effort to “squash” any uncomfortable questions right at the outset, while lobbyists quietly make calls and operate behind the scenes, assuring support from influential figures.