21 October 2026 | Government House, Astana. Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mr. Olzhas Bektenov met with Mr. Juan Carlos Salazar, Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), who arrived in Astana to participate in ICAO Aviation Security Week 2026, according to the Press Service of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The meeting was attended by Mr. Timur Tlegenov, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan to ICAO.
This is the first official visit by the ICAO Secretary General to the countries of Central Asia.
The meeting focused on further strengthening cooperation between Kazakhstan and ICAO. Particular attention was paid to the large-scale reforms underway in the country, aimed at ensuring sustainable progress across all priority areas of the economy.
Mr. Olzhas Bektenov noted that the Head of State, Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, attaches particular importance to developing Kazakhstan’s transport and logistics potential, establishing aviation hubs and strengthening the country’s role as a transit corridor. Cooperation with ICAO is of strategic importance to Kazakhstan’s aviation sector.
Mr. Juan Carlos Salazar highly commended Kazakhstan’s achievements in aviation security. Kazakhstan ranks among the world’s top 20 countries in terms of ICAO aviation security performance, with a score of 95.7%.
The ICAO Secretary General emphasized that Kazakhstan is taking important steps to develop and strengthen its airport and air navigation infrastructure, while the country’s airlines are modernizing their aircraft fleets and expanding their international route networks.
Participants noted the positive growth trajectory of Kazakhstan’s civil aviation sector. Over the past five years, the gross output of the aviation industry has increased 6.5-fold, reaching USD 2.9 billion. In 2025, passenger traffic at the country’s airports totalled 31.8 million, while the international route network expanded to 161 destinations.
These achievements have been made possible by the consistent implementation of international standards and the high level of professionalism of Kazakhstan’s aviation specialists. To further unlock the sector’s potential, the importance of developing Kazakhstan’s Civil Aviation Master Plan to 2050 (CAMP-2050) was emphasized. The document will define strategic priorities for modernizing the sector, developing aviation hubs and enhancing Kazakhstan’s international competitiveness.
Following the meeting, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the ICAO Secretary General reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation and pooling the efforts of Kazakhstan and ICAO to further enhance aviation safety and security and ensure the sustainable development of civil aviation.
