Air Astana will be forced to lower air fares

Agency for Regulation of Natural Monopolies will make Air Astana lower its air fares, Agency’s chairman Murat Ospanov said during an online-conference at BNews.kz. “We have made an analyses; oil prices are currently going down and air fuel is becoming cheaper as well. Before it cost 185 thousand tenge ($1,233), while now it is sold by refineries for 145 thousand tenge ($967). Our agency initiated a review of the prices for Air Astana services. The company placed the application on August 15. We are currently reviewing it. There are the conditions to lower the rates. This will be done,” Ospanov said. Air Astana raised its air fares in April 2012 by 16 percent. It explained the step by the fact that aviation fuel prices doubled. “The rates in Kazakhstan airports are very high compared to world’s and Europe’s average rates. But Air Astana, being under such pressure and with such high airport fares, is nevertheless planning to further retain the prices at the same level and has no intention to raise them,” Peter Foster said recently.