Kazakhstan to complete Boeing 737 MAX airworthiness assessment in February

Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan (AAK) is proceeding with its re-clearance process for Boeing 737 MAX. The Central Asian country’s aviation authority said it would complete the airworthiness evaluation of the type before the end of February to allow for MAX operations to resume.

The type’s only operator in Kazakhstan, SCAT airlines is assisting the regulator in the evaluation process. It has been instructed to “conduct additional flight crew training, including simulation of unreliable speed indications during take-off, climb and en route, and update company procedures in line with the manufacturer’s revisions,” AAK said in a statement.

According to the regulator, SCAT jointly with Boeing engineers have completed the necessary procedures to bring aircraft safely out of storage and introduce the software modifications the aircraft in SCAT’s fleet.

“SCAT pilots have been trained in one of the world’s certified training centres. This week, the carrier is planning to perform test flights. Currently, the aircraft is undergoing the final stage of preparations to return to service in line with the requirements of the manufacturer and the aviation regulators of the United States and Kazakhstan,” the statement reads.

The Civil Aviation Committee of Kazakhstan temporarily suspended operation of SCAT’s Boeing 737 MAX in March 2019. Currently, one aircraft of this type is registered in Kazakhstan registry. But SCAT, country’s second largest carrier has five more MAX-8s and two MAX-9s on order. Also, low-cost carrier FlyArystan has a letter of intend for 30 Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft signed with Boeing in November 2019.

On January 27, 2021, the 737 MAX was cleared by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA), paving the way to the resumption of flights in Europe. Earlier, the Boeing 737 MAX’s grounding was ended by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC) and Transport Canada.

Air Transport

Two Boeing 737 MAX 9s for Kazakhstan’s SCAT Airlines in May

SCAT, which became the launch CIS operator of the B737 MAX 8 last year, is now preparing for the delivery of the B737 MAX 9, the first of the type in the region (SCAT)

In a move that will stimulate further competition in the Kazakhstan air transport market, privately owned SCAT Airlines – the central Asian country’s second largest carrier by passenger traffic – has announced a contract for two Boeing 737MAX 9 jets. The Chimkent-headquartered carrier claims it will be the first operator of the new type in the CIS and central Asia regions.

The latest additions are scheduled to join SCAT’s fleet this May as part of the carrier’s overall capacity expansion effort. They will be operated both on international and domestic routes within the next IATA summer season, the airline states.

Unlike the Boeing 737 MAX 8 – which the airline is receiving in a single-class 186-seat configuration – the more spacious -9 will be fitted with two-class 189-seat cabins with as many as 16 in business.

The original contract for six Boeing 737 MAX 8s signed in November 2017 has remained intact, the Kazakh airline has confirmed to Russian Aviation Insider. SCAT is expecting the remaining five aircraft to be delivered within the contract-prescribed timeframe up to 2022.

SCAT became the first operator of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 in central Asia last March, with the acquisition of the first of the batch of six aircraft financed through Kazakhstan’s national Halyk Bank.

Last year SCAT Airlines carried some 2.2 million passengers, a 15 per cent improvement on 2017. It is projecting further, unspecified growth for 2019, the airline has advised Russian Aviation Insider.



Air Astana, Kazakhstan’s dominant carrier, is currently upgrading and expanding its own fleet with Airbus A320 neos and second-generation Embraer E-Jet Е2s. It is also planning to launch FlyArystan, its low-cost offshoot, in May, thereby putting further pressure on its local rivals.

SCAT Airlines flies to EU

SCAT has launched services between Astana and Vilnius, Lithuania (SCAT Airlines)

Having been formally recognised as a Third Country Operator (TCO) by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) last year, Kazakh private carrier SCAT Airlines has commenced flights to the European Union.

The new bi-weekly scheduled service links Astana with the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius and is just the beginning of an ambitious plan to launch up to 14 new routes to destinations across Europe, challenging the country’s flagship carrier Air Astana, the only other Kazakh airline approved by EASA.

A source at Vilnius Airport has advised ATO.ru, Russian Aviation Insider’s sister publication that the airline was supported by the Lithuanian Route Development Fund, a 2013 brainchild of the country’s Communications and Transport Ministry. The fund, co-financed by public and private entities, encourages the development of new routes which are beneficial for Lithuania, but also come with commercial risks, allocated €200,000 for the launch of the service.

“The route between Kazakhstan and Lithuania is a major milestone in the airline’s history. The aim is to create a strong air link between Kazakhstan and the Baltic states,” Kazakhstan’s Civil Aviation Committee points out.

Further plans include launching flights to Milan, Vienna and Prague, among other destinations in Europe.

SCAT Airlines was first listed in the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registry in 2015 before being recognised as a member of IATA in March 2018.

The flight to Vilnius is operated by a Boeing 737. The airline also has B767-300, B757-200 and both the B737CL and NG variants in its fleet, as well as Bombardier CRJ200 regional jets. SCAT is the first operator of the Boeing 737 MAX in Central Asia.
by ES in Air Transport, Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan’s SCAT becomes first in Central Asia to fly 737 MAX

SCAT Airlines’ newly delivered 737MAX-8 is the first factory-new aircraft in its fleet (Boeing)

Kazakh private airline SCAT took delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, one of the six that the carrier will operate as it expands its fleet and services. SCAT will be the first in Central Asia to fly the MAX, says theh US airframer.

Kazakhstan’s second largest carrier, SCAT had long operated Boeing 737 Classics. The 737 MAX 8, registration number UP-B3720, became the first factory-new aircraft in the airline’s 20 years of operations.

“Last year SCAT celebrated its 20th anniversary and it is very symbolic that we are entering a year of adulthood with the purchase of the newest aircraft type. We are confident that the acquisition of Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets will not only raise the level of customer service offered by our airline but will also give a new impetus to the development of Kazakkhstan’s aviation industry,” commented Vladimir Denisov, CEO and co-owner of the operator.

SCAT announced the MAX 8 order at the 2017 Dubai Airshow last November. The agreement, valued at $674 million in list prices, includes an option forr five additional examples of the type.

The 186-seat all-economy airliner incorporates the latest CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets, Boeing Sky Interior, large flight deck displays, and other features.

With the new 737 MAX, SCAT will be able to expand its network: up to 14 new routes are about to be launched out of the airline’s base in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana, Denisov explains.



SCAT Airlines was established in 1997 and was originally based in Shymkent. It operates an extensive network of domestic services and also serves international destinations in the CIS. The airline has 12 Boeing airplanes in its fleet, including one Boeing 767-300, four 757-200s, one 737-700, three 737-300s, three 737-500s, and six Bombardier CRJ 200 regional jets.

Russian Aviation Insider

SCAT - B737-700W - LY-AZV

Ton Jochems - AYT

SCAT - B737-700W - LY-AZV

Ton Jochems - AYT

Kazakhstan's Scat gets first B737 NextGen

 

Scat has added a first B737 NextGen aircraft to its fleet following the arrival of an ex-Air Italy B737-700, LY-AZV (msn 37233), in Shimkent on June 30.

SCAT - B757-200, LY-FLG

Ton Jochemens - AYT

SCAT - B757-200, UP-85702

Ton Jochemens - AYT