Air Astana, the flag carrier of Kazakhstan, is the “Official Air Carrier” of Astana Expo-2017, a major international exhibition focused on the theme "Future Energy".

The official signing ceremony was held in Astana today (August 20), with the signatories being Astana EXPO-2017’s Chairman, Akhmetzhan Yesimov and Air Astana President, Peter Foster.

“Air Astana is the largest airline in Kazakhstan, and the memorandum signed today will be the first step in our cooperation. With its international reach across Asia, Central Asia, Europe and the Middle East, the airline will be able to promote this major project around the world. We have agreed to place the Expo 2017 logo on all of Air Astana’s aircraft and to develop a joint promotional plan for the exhibition, which will be enormously beneficial to building international awareness,” said Yesimov.

“The event will focus on innovative and practical energy solutions and their global impact. The airline industry is a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and at Air Astana we continue to take corrective action through the introduction of greener technology. At the recent Paris air show we announced our intention to acquire a fleet of Airbus A320 family NEO aircraft, whose new engine technology should save up to 15 per cent of emissions. The NEOs will be introduced from 2016. The EXPO 2017 site is well underway, and we look forward to supporting what will be a fascinating and enjoyable extended event, as Astana opens its arms to the world,” said Foster.

Within the framework of the memorandum of cooperation, there are plans to integrate the airline’s online reservation system onto the event website www.expo2017astana.com and also activate a joint PR-campaign. Additionally, all Astana transit and arriving in passengers will be given tickets to the exhibition in 2017. –TradeArabia News Service