In December 2024, Sovico Group (led by Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao) and a Kazakhstani fund acquired Qazaq Air, a Kazakhstani airline. Vietjet Air and Qazaq Air entered into a business franchise agreement, with plans to jointly develop and operate Vietjet Qazaqstan (formerly Qazaq Air). According to Mighty Travels, the deal was valued at up to $417 million.
Qazaq Air is an interregional airline established by Samruk-Kazyna JSC to improve the safety and availability of interregional air travel in Kazakhstan. The airline has been IOSA-certified since 2018 and is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Sovico aims to leverage Kazakhstan’s geographical location as a crucial aviation hub. Qazaq Air already has a competitive edge in this regard. Specifically, its fleet is much newer than those of its regional competitors, focusing on more fuel-efficient aircraft, suggesting the potential for lower ticket prices in the future. Additionally, Qazaq Air can implement new operational technologies to better utilize resources for scheduling and passenger flow, ultimately enhancing the overall travel experience.
The acquisition of Qazaq Air also promises to bring various other advantages.
Modern Aircraft Fleet
Qazaq Air’s fleet has an average age of 7.5 years. All new aircraft are acquired directly from the manufacturer. They currently operate modern Canadian-made De Havilland Dash-8-Q400NG turboprops (formerly known as Bombardier Q400). These aircraft offer high reliability, low operating costs, a bright and convenient cabin, and comfortable noise levels.
The Q400 turboprop was developed by Bombardier to meet regional airlines’ needs for larger aircraft on short, high-density routes. It is one of the quietest turboprops globally, featuring a noise and vibration suppression (NVS) system introduced in 1996.
The cockpit accommodates a pilot and co-pilot, featuring an electronic flight instrument system (EFIS) with five high-resolution liquid crystal displays measuring 6 inches by 8 inches. It can also be equipped with a full-image navigation system from Flight Dynamics.
The aircraft’s avionics are supplied by Thales Avionics (formerly Sextant Avionique). The communication equipment includes a dual VHF navigation and communication system and a Mode S transponder.
Additionally, the cockpit is equipped with an emergency locator transmitter and a solid-state cockpit voice recorder. Navigation equipment includes weather radar, a ground proximity warning receiver, a radar altimeter, an automatic direction finder, and a distance measuring equipment. The aircraft is also equipped with a flight management system, a global positioning system, and a traffic collision avoidance system, TCAS II.
The Q400 aircraft is certified to operate in temperatures as low as -54°C, as evidenced by its approval in the Canadian market.
Advanced Maintenance Management Software System
With its expanding fleet and aspirations to transition to a digital maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) status, Qazaq Air, Kazakhstan’s young regional airline, signed an agreement to utilize Envision, a maintenance management software product by Rusada.
Rusada, a provider of aircraft maintenance software, has received cloud integration certification for its ENVISION solution with aviation technology specialist SAP. The ENVISION Integrator enables customers to create input and output interfaces for the SAP system without additional programming, utilizing standard APIs available on the SAP Enterprise Platform.
Rusada is committed to ensuring a seamless and timely transition to Envision, allowing the airline to focus entirely on its daily operations.
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