Kazakhstan Encyclopedia - User contributions [en]

Air Astana

2017-04-26T21:25:32Z

Ahwiv: update infobox for unknown parms, removed: | lounge = using AWB

{{Infobox Airline
| airline = Air Astana
| image = AirAstanaNewLogo.png
| image_size = 250
| IATA = KC
| ICAO = KZR
| callsign = ASTANALINE
| founded = {{Start date|2001|08|29|df=yes}}
| commenced = {{Start date|2002|05|15|df=yes}}
| ceased =
| hubs = <div>
* [[Almaty International Airport]]
* {{nowrap|[[Astana International Airport]]}}
| secondary_hubs =
| focus_cities =
| frequent_flyer = Nomad Club
| company_slogan = ''From the Heart of Eurasia''
| alliance =
| subsidiaries =
| fleet_size = 31
| parent = Sovereign Wealth Fund Samruk Kazyna (51%). Other Shareholder: BAE Systems PLC (49%)
| headquarters = [[4A Zakarpatskaya street Almaty 050039]], Kazakhstan
| key_people = <div>
* {{nowrap|Nurzhan Baidauletov, Chairman}}
* Peter Foster, President & [[CEO]]
| website = [http://www.airastana.com/ airastana.com]
|aoc=|destinations=64|num_employees=}}

'''Air Astana''' ({{lang-kk|Эйр Астана}}) is the principal airline and the [[flag carrier]] of the [[Republic of Kazakhstan]], based in [[Almaty]], Kazakhstan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://airastana.com/kaz/en-us/About-Us/Contact-Us/Head-Office|title=Head Office|work=airastana.com|accessdate=21 December 2010}}</ref> It operates scheduled domestic and international services on 64 routes from its main hub, [[Almaty International Airport]], and from its secondary hub, [[Astana International Airport]]. It is a joint venture between Kazakhstan's sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna (51%), and [[BAE Systems]] PLC (49%).<ref>{{cite news|title= Air Astana eyes Paris and Prague services after EU lifts safety ban|first= Kurt|last= Hofmann|work= [[Air Transport World]]|date= 11 April 2014|url= http://atwonline.com/airports-routes/air-astana-eyes-paris-and-prague-services-after-eu-lifts-safety-ban|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20140411190401/http://atwonline.com/airports-routes/air-astana-eyes-paris-and-prague-services-after-eu-lifts-safety-ban|archivedate=11 April 2014 }}</ref> It was incorporated in October 2001 and started commercial flights on 15 May 2002.

==History==
Air Astana was described by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation in January 2012 as having "performed better in its first decade than just about any other start-up carrier" (CAPA, Airline Analysis, 9 January 2012). Yet its origins represent one of the more intriguing and unlikely stories to have emerged from the airline industry in recent times. Originally conceived as purely domestic airline, [[BAE Systems]] agreed in mid-2001 to participate in the proposed start-up at the request of Kazakhstan's head of state, President [[Nursultan Nazarbayev]], in order to facilitate an air radar contract it was then negotiating with the [[Government of Kazakhstan]]. Sir [[Richard Evans (businessman)|Richard Evans]], BAE Systems’ chairman at the time, was instrumental in and key to the deal. However, the radar contract never materialized, and subsequent senior management changes and strategic reviews at BAE Systems led to the closure of its offices in Kazakhstan. Additionally, notwithstanding the support of Nazarbayev and a number of close advisors, the start-up, initially seen as a foreign entity, was confronted with immediate and vocal opposition from many elements of Kazakhstan's media and political establishment.

===2002 – 2005===
In spite of these gloomy auguries the airline took off on the charge. Under its first operational president, former [[British Airways]] executive [[Lloyd Paxton]] (there had been a brace of short-lived pre-operational incumbents), it leased its first 3 [[Boeing 737]]s from [[International Lease Finance Corporation]] (ILFC) and commenced Commercial operations on 15 May 2002. In late 2003 Fokker 50s were leased from Aircraft Finance Trading BV (AFT) and 3 Boeing 757s from Pegasus Leasing Corp. It declared a net profit in 2003, its first full year of operations. Upon the bankruptcy of the previous flag carrier [[Air Kazakhstan]] in February 2004, it moved quickly to expand from its domestic network to key international routes to [[Dubai]], [[Istanbul]], Moscow and Beijing, followed by [[Frankfurt]] and London.

===2005 – to the present day===
Early growth pains and disagreements over fleet plans and hub strategy led to tensions between the shareholders and a management change in autumn 2005. Peter Foster, a former executive of [[Cathay Pacific]] Airways who had led the rehabilitation team at [[Philippine Airlines]] in 1999 before a spell as CEO at [[Royal Brunei Airlines]], was appointed as the airline's president on 1 October 2005. Long-term development plans and management structures were established that have remained largely unchanged since then. The airline has been consistently profitable and was listed in the top 20 most profitable airlines in terms of net margin in the world for the years 2010, 2011, and 2012, according to Airline Business and Air Finance Journal, which ranked it 20th in its 2015 survey of global airline financial ratings, with a score of BBB-.{{citation needed|date=February 2016}}

In an article on BAE Systems' offset programmes (10/10/13) the Financial Times stated, "BAE’s 49 per cent stake in Kazakhstan’s Air Astana became one of the company’s highest-yielding investments".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/4c140b7a-251a-11e3-bcf7-00144feab7de.html|title=Offset side deals spark calls for transparency|work=Financial Times|accessdate=10 October 2013}}</ref>

Until 8 December 2016, Air Astana was the only Kazakhstani airline [http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-4265_en.htm allowed to fly to the European Union].

Air Astana is the "Official Air Carrier of EXPO-2017"<ref>{{Cite web|title = Astana Expo 2017 has an official air carrier|url = http://www.eturbonews.com/62679/astana-expo-2017-has-official-air-carrier|website = www.eturbonews.com|accessdate = 2015-11-09}}</ref> and the official carrier and general partner of the [[2017 Winter Universiade]], which will take place from 29 January to 8 February 2017 in [[Almaty]].

==Operations==
===Activity in Russia===
In September 2002 the airline launched flights between Astana and Moscow with a frequency of 3 times a week and daily flights between Almaty and Moscow performed by Boeing 737–700. In 2014, the number of weekly services on the Astana – Moscow route was increased up to 9 flights a week, and Almaty – Moscow flights up to 14. The airline operates 54 weekly services on 11 routes to Russia: Almaty – Moscow performed by Airbus A321 and Boeing 767, Astana – Moscow, Almaty – St.Petersburg performed by Airbus A320 and Astana – Novosibirsk, Astana – Yekaterinburg, Astana – Omsk, Astana – St.Petersburg, Almaty – Kazan, and Almaty – Samara performed by Embraer 190.

Air Astana is represented in Russian Federation in Moscow city on Bolshoi Gnezdnikovskii pereulok 1, building 2 (Tverskaya metro station). There is also a ticket office at the Sheremetyevo airport (Terminal E).

===Activity in the rest of C.I.S.===
Air Astana has built on its geographical strength by expanding its network to cover all key cities of the region with short haul flights.
In Central Asia and Caucasus Air Astana offers services to [[Bishkek]] ([[Kyrgyzstan]]), [[Tashkent]] ([[Uzbekistan]]), [[Baku]] ([[Azerbaijan]]), [[Tbilisi]] ([[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]) both from Almaty and Astana. Services to [[Dushanbe]] ([[Tajikistan]]) are currently performed from Almaty and will be extended from Astana starting IATA Summer 2016 navigation season. Air Astana closed its last gap in the region in 2013 by launching services to [[Kiev]] ([[Ukraine]]) from Almaty with 3 flights per week. Since the launch of services, Air Astana has rapidly become a key provider for air transport to Central Asia and Far Eastern destinations from Ukraine and v.v.
The extensive regional network provides for access to all major cities in the region with Air Astana’s medium and long haul flights from Beijing, Seoul, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Delhi, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Istanbul, Frankfurt, London and others.

===Activity in China===
While many people are aware that Kazakhstan is located in the territory of the ex-USSR, it is only a few that are aware of its close vicinity with China. Kazakhstan neighbors China through its South East border with a flight time of less than one and a half hours to [[Ürümqi Airport|Ürümqi]] and under five hours to Beijing. The close vicinity of Air Astana’s hubs allows for competitive regional operations to China. The fact that not a single European carrier is operating to Ürümqi, provides a strong competitive edge for Air Astana. The Western hub of China is served both from Almaty and Astana with 11 services per week, offering connectivity to its entire CIS network as well as Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Delhi, Istanbul, Frankfurt, Paris and others. The daily services to Beijing connect with the entire CIS network as well as European network such as Frankfurt, Istanbul and particularly London.

===ICAO and the EU===
The airline's international route development was heavily influenced by regulatory factors from 2009 until April 2014. In April 2009, an audit by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), found the Kazakhstan Civil Aviation Committee (CAC) to be non-compliant in key areas of regulatory oversight. This resulted in, with the exception of Air Astana, a blanket ban of all Kazakhstan-registered airlines from flying to, from or within the European Union by the EU's Air Safety Committee (ASC), until the ban was lifted on 8 December 2016. Air Astana was exempted from the ban "...taking into account oral and written presentations made...." particularly the registration of its aircraft with the Department of Civil Aviation of Aruba, a Netherlands dependent territory, and its operations safety management programme as presented to the ASC. However, it was included on the ASC's Annex B, restricting its EU operations to the level of frequencies and fleet operated at the time of imposition of the ban in July 2009. The ASC removed the fleet restriction in November 2012 for the Boeing and Airbus fleet based on the airline's fleet renewal programme but retained the restriction on Embraer aircraft. On 10 April 2014 the ASC lifted the frequency restrictions based on the airline's safety performance, including Safety Audit of Foreign Airlines (SAFA) monitoring programme results, as well as continuing transparent communications. This allowed the airline to start planning for new destinations in Europe and increases to its daily service to Frankfurt from Astana, its 6 weekly service to Amsterdam from Atyrau, and its 4 weekly services to London. The airline subsequently commenced service between Astana and Paris in April 2015. The restrictions on the Embraer aircraft, which were the last to be banned from the EU, were removed in December 2015, and all Air Astana aircraft are now allowed to enter EU airspace.<ref>{{Cite web|title = European Commission clears Air Astana and adds Iraqi Airways to EU air safety list {{!}} CAPA - Centre for Aviation|url = http://centreforaviation.com/news/european-commission-aviation-commission-updates-the-eu-air-safety-list-507103|website = centreforaviation.com|accessdate = 2016-01-01}}</ref>

==Destinations==
{{Main|Air Astana destinations}}
Air Astana's 64 routes include most major cities in Kazakhstan and an increasing number of neighboring Central Asian and Russian cities. The latter is the result of a decision to implement what its managers refer to as an "extended home market strategy", to leverage its reputation for high standards of service and air safety compliance in the region's growing air transport markets. Since 2009 it has launched services to Baku, Tashkent, Ürümqi, Tbilisi, Dushanbe, Bishkek, Novosibirsk, Samara, Yekaterinburg, Saint Petersburg, and from the middle of 2012 – Kazan and Omsk. Almaty – Kiev, and Astana – Kiev were launched in spring 2013.

Its long haul growth has been towards south and east Asia, with flights to Delhi, Seoul (operated in code share with Asiana Airlines), Beijing, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong (28 August 2012) and Ho Chi Minh City (January 2013). In addition to its existing Almaty-Seoul services, Air Astana launched direct services from Astana to Seoul in June 2015. Air Astana operates daily services from Astana to Frankfurt, three weekly services to Heathrow and three weekly services to Paris (launched 29 March 2015). The European services are connected with Air Astana’s extensive domestic services as well as regional services in South Russia, Central Asia and China. The airline launched a non-stop flight from Almaty to Tehran, the capital of the Islamic Republic of Iran (30 June 2016).

===Codeshare agreements===
Air Astana has [[codeshare agreement]]s with the following airlines:<ref name="CAPA Air Astana profile">{{cite web|url= http://centreforaviation.com/profiles/airlines/air-astana-kc |title=Profile on Air Astana |website=CAPA|publisher=Centre for Aviation|access-date=2016-11-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161102151738/http://centreforaviation.com/profiles/airlines/air-astana-kc |archive-date=2016-11-02|dead-url=no}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Air France]]
* [[Air India]]
* [[Asiana Airlines]]
* [[Bangkok Airways]]
* [[Etihad Airways]]
* [[Hong Kong Airlines]]
* [[KLM]]
* [[Lufthansa]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Air Astana and Lufthansa Sign Codeshare Agreement {{!}} AviationPros.com|url=http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12316353/air-astana-and-lufthansa-sign-codeshare-agreement|accessdate=16 March 2017|work=AviationPros.com|date=15 March 2017|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Turkish Airlines]]
{{Div col end}}

==Fleet==

===Current fleet===
[[File:Airbus A320-232, Air Astana AN1137134.jpg|thumb|Air Astana [[Airbus A320 family|Airbus A320-200]]]]
[[File:Air Astana Boeing 757-200 Lebeda-1.jpg|thumb|Air Astana [[Boeing 757-200]]]]
[[File:Air Astana Boeing 767-300ER Lebeda.jpg|thumb|Air Astana [[Boeing 767-300ER]]]]
The Air Astana fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of June 2016):<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.ch-aviation.ch/portal/airline.php?cha=4L|title = Air Astana – ch-aviation.com|work = ch-aviation}}</ref><ref>Air Astana Fleet Details and History https://www.planespotters.net/airline/Air-Astana</ref>

{| class="toccolours" border="1" cellpadding="4" style="border-collapse:collapse;text-align:center; margin: 1em auto;"
|+ '''Air Astana Fleet'''
|- bgcolor=082567
! rowspan="2" style="width:150px;" | Aircraft
! rowspan="2" style="width:60px;" | In Service
! rowspan="2" style="width:40px;" | Orders
! colspan="3" class="unsortable" | Seats
! rowspan="2" | Notes
|- bgcolor=082567
! style="width:25px;" | <abbr title="Business">C</abbr>
! style="width:25px;" | <abbr title="Economy">Y</abbr>
! style="width:25px;" | Total
|-
|[[Airbus A319|Airbus A319-100]]
|1
|—
|12
|114
|126
|
|-
|-
|[[Airbus A320 family|Airbus A320-200]]
|8
|—
|16
|132
|148
|
|-
|[[Airbus A320neo]]
|1
|2
| class="unsortable" |16
|132
|148
|deliveries since late 2016<ref name="PAS15orders">[http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/paris-air-astana-takes-long-range-a321neo-to-replace-757s-413694/ flightglobal.com – PARIS: Air Astana takes long-range A321neo to replace 757s] 16 June 2015</ref>
|-
|[[Airbus A320 family|Airbus A321-200]]
|4
|—
|28
|151
|179
|
|-
|[[Airbus A321neo]]
|—
|8
| class="unsortable" |28
|151
|179
|to be delivered from 2017<ref name="PAS15orders" />
|-
|[[Boeing 757|Boeing 757–200]]
|5
|—
|16
|150
|166
|to be replaced by Airbus A321neo from 2018<ref name="PAS15orders"/>
|-
|[[Boeing 767|Boeing 767-300ER]]
|3
|—
|31
|193
|223
|
|-
|[[Boeing 787-8]]
|—
|3
| colspan="3" class="unsortable" |<abbr title="To Be Announced"><center>TBA</center></abbr>
|to be delivered from 2019<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/air-astana-to-delay-787-deliveries-ceo-400828/|title=Air Astana to delay 787 deliveries: CEO|date=2014-06-27|newspaper=Flightglobal.com|language=en-GB|access-date=2017-01-22}}</ref>
|-
|[[Embraer 190]]
|9
|—
|9
|88
|97
|
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''30'''
|'''14'''
|colspan="5" class="unsortable"|
|}

===Fleet development===
From 2006 to 2008 Boeing 737 were gradually replaced by leased Airbus 320 and two the very first widebody Boeing 767-300ER's were leased from ILFC. In 2008 and 2011 two Boeing 757s were leased from ILFC company and MacQuarie Aviation Inc. In mid-2008 the first purchase order for 6 Airbus A320 aircraft was made. The aircraft were delivered at the end of 2012. In 2011 the company introduced 3 new Embraer 190 regional aircraft, two of them were purchased in leasing from Jetscape Inc, and 1 from Aircraft Lease Corporation (ALC). In 2012 the airline received 3 Embraer 190 aircraft, one of which became the company's property. The purchased Embraer 190 aircraft joined the fleet in 2012 and 2013. On 1 December 2012 the airline retired the Fokker 50 fleet, replacing them all by Embraer 190's. In February 2012 the airline concluded the largest in the country's aviation history contract on supply of Boeing 767-300ER in late 2013 and three Boeing 787–8 in 2017.

In 2013 Air Astana received its 7th Embraer 190 and 2 more Airbus A320 with sharklets. The airline has taken delivery of two new Boeing-767s in 2013 and a third in June 2014. At the Paris airshow in June 2015 Air Astana announced that it would be the launch customer for the A321 NEO Long Range, 4 of which will be acquired from Air Lease Corp Inc of the USA in 2019, in addition to 3 short range NEOs to be acquired from 2016.

Air Astana operates a fleet of 31 aircraft. As a result of the fleet restructuring and replacing all its Airbus A320 and Boeing 767 aircraft with brand new ones, Air Astana's average fleet age is only 6 years as of 2015. The company plans to expand its fleet to 36 aircraft by 2017 and up to 43 by 2020. It also plans to commence flights to USA upon arrival of the Dreamliners.{{citation needed|date=February 2016}}

===Fleet history===
Air Astana’s fleet history:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/Air%20Astana.htm|title=Air Astana Fleet – Airfleets aviation|work=airfleets.net}}</ref>

{| class="toccolours" border="1" cellpadding="3" style="border-collapse:collapse; margin: 1em auto;"
|- style="background:#082567;"
!Aircraft
!Put into operation
!Out of operation
!Number of out of service
|-
|[[Airbus A320|Airbus A319]]
|2008
|—
|
|-
|[[Airbus A320]]
|2006
|—
|4
|-
|[[Airbus A320neo family|Airbus A320]]<nowiki/>neo
|2016
|—
|
|-
|[[Airbus A320|Airbus A321]]
|2007
|—
|
|-
|[[Boeing 737|Boeing 737–700]]
|2002
|2007
|1
|-
|[[Boeing 737|Boeing 737–800]]
|2002
|2007
|2
|-
|[[Boeing 757|Boeing 757–200]]
|2003
|—
|
|-
|[[Boeing 767|Boeing 767-300ER]]
|2007
|—
|2
|-
|[[Embraer|Embraer 190]]
|2011
|—
|
|-
|[[Fokker|Fokker 50]]
|2004
|2012
|6
|}

==Service and branding==
During the ATW's 41st Annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards ceremony in Washington, DC on 25 February 2015 Air Astana was awarded the Airline Market Leader of the Year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://atwonline.com/airlines/air-transport-leaders-celebrated-atw-achievement-awards|title=Air Transport leaders celebrated at ATW Achievement Awards|publisher=Air Transport World|date=2015-02-26|accessdate=2015-03-02}}</ref>

===Class types===
Air Astana operates a 2 class service, '''Business''' and '''Economy''', on all aircraft, and '''Economy Sleeper '''on its Boeing 757 fleet. The Boeing 767 and 757 are equipped with the individual in-flight entertainment system supplied by RAVE in both cabins. On other aircraft it offers hand-held personal entertainment systems (「KCTV」) in the business class of all flights longer than 3 hours. Hot meals and alcoholic beverages are offered on all flights in Business, Economy, and Economy Sleeper.

===New products===
In Feb 2015, Air Astana started offering a new class type: the '''Economy Sleeper'''. Passengers of the Economy Sleeper Class get a row of three Economy Class seats, turn-down service, Business Class amenity kits and KCTV, along with various perks at the airport, including access to Business Class lounges. The new product is currently featured exclusively on the Boeing 757–200 on routes from Astana to London, Frankfurt and Paris, and from Almaty to Hong Kong.<ref name="Economy Sleeper">{{cite web|title=Air Astana Introduces Economy Sleeper": New Economic Business Class Concept|url=https://talkairlines.wordpress.com/2015/01/29/talkinterior-air-astana-introduces-economy-sleeper-new-economic-business-class-concept/|website=>talkairlines|publisher=>talkairlines|accessdate=29 January 2015}}</ref>

===Nomad Club===
The "Nomad" frequent flyer club consists of Gold, Silver and Standard membership tiers, and has reciprocal agreements with [[Lufthansa]]'s 「[[Miles & More]]」and Asiana Airlines' "Asiana Club" programmes.

===Shanyrak Lounge===
Air Astana has recently opened its lounge "The Shanyrak", the only airline lounge at the Astana International Airport.

==Personnel==
Air Astana numbers more than 4,700 people. Despite the fact that the company directly hires staff for international offices, most of the employees are citizens of Kazakhstan. It employs over 500 pilots, about a third of whom are non-Kazakhstan nationals recruited principally in Europe. In 2012 company has introduced a general management training program at Cranfield University, England. The airline’s cabin crew consists of over 1,100 flight attendants with the citizenship of Kazakhstan, most of them are women. Its management is a combination of Kazakhstan and foreign nationals.

==Activity indicators==
Number of passengers transported:<ref>{{Cite web|title = Annual Reports|url = http://airastana.com/kaz/en-us/About-Us/Corporate-Governance/Annual-Reports|website = airastana.com|accessdate = 2015-06-17}}</ref>
* 2006 – 1.5 mln
* 2007 – 2.1 mln
* 2008 – 2.3 mln
* 2009 – 2.2 mln
* 2010 – 2.6 mln
* 2011 – 3 mln
* 2012 – 3.3 mln
* 2013 – 3.7 mln
* 2014 – 3.8 mln
* 2015 – 3.9 mln

==Awards==
* Skytrax 4 Star Airline, 2010 to present.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.airlinequality.com/Airlines/KC.htm|title=A-Z Airline Quality Rating|work=SKYTRAX}}</ref>
* Skytrax World Airline Awards, Best Airline Central Asia and India, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.<ref>http://www.worldairlineawards.com/Awards/airline_award_winners_2012.html#byregion</ref>
* Skytrax World Airline Awards, Best Staff Service Central Asia and India, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.<ref>http://www.worldairlineawards.com/Awards/best_airline_staff_by_world_region.html</ref>
* Air Transport World Industry Awards, Global Market Leadership Award, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://atwonline.com/atws-41st-annual-airline-industry-achievement-awards|title=ATW's 41st Annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards|work=atwonline.com}}</ref>
* UK New Year’s Honours List 2015, Peter Foster appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to British aviation in Kazakhstan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/391415/Diplomatic_and_Overseas_NY15_Honours_List.pdf |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2015-12-31 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231045943/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/391415/Diplomatic_and_Overseas_NY15_Honours_List.pdf |archivedate=31 December 2014 |df=dmy }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commonscat-inline|Air Astana}}
*{{Official website|http://www.airastana.com/}}
*{{YouTube|u=OfficialAirAstana|Air Astana}}

{{Portalbar| Kazakhstan |Companies|Aviation}}
{{Airlines of Kazakhstan}}
{{IATA members|cis}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2013}}

[[Category:Airlines of Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 2001]]
[[Category:IATA members]]
[[Category:Companies of Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Kazakhstani brands]]

Shymbulak

2017-04-25T21:47:30Z

Ahwiv: update infobox for unknown parms using AWB

{{Infobox ski area
|name= Shymbulak Ski Resort
|logo=
|picture=
|caption=
|location= [[Kazakhstan]]
|nearest_city= [[Almaty]]
|latd=43 |latm=7 |lats=41 |latNS=N
|longd=77 |longm=4 |longs=51 | longEW=E|coordinates_display=d
|top_elevation= {{convert|3200|m|ft|-2}}
|base_elevation= {{convert|2200|m|ft|-2}}
|vertical = {{convert|1000|m|ft|-2}}
|skiable_area=
|number_trails=
|longest_run=
|liftsystem=
|terrainparks=
|snowfall=
|external_link=http://www.shymbulak.com/en/
|}}

'''Shymbulak''' ({{lang-kz|'''Шымбұлақ'''}}), also known as '''Chimbulak''' ({{lang-ru|Чимбулак}}) is a [[ski resort]] near [[Almaty]], the largest city of [[Kazakhstan]]. It is located in the upper part of the Medeu Valley in the [[Zaiilisky Alatau]] mountain range, at the elevation of {{convert|2200|m|ft|-2}} above sea level. The resort area is about {{convert|25|km|mi|0}} south of [[Almaty]] city by the [[Medeo]] road. It is popular for its mild climate, large quantity of sunny days and great amount of snow through the winter (from November till May).

[[File:Shymbulak, Medeu District.jpg|thumb|Shymbulak in summer.]]
Almaty hosted the [[2011 Asian Winter Games]], bid for [[2014 Winter Olympics]], considered a bid for [[2018 Winter Olympics]], but decided to bid for [[2022 Winter Olympics]] instead; Shymbulak was a venue for the Alpine Skiing events (both speed and technical), and would have been for the latter.<ref>[http://www.gamesbids.com/eng/winter_olympic_bids/1216133778.html Almaty Considers 2018 Winter Games bid]</ref>

== Ski area information ==
There are three [[ski lift]]s, which cumulatively reach [[Talgar pass]] ({{convert|3200|m|ft|-2|disp=sqbr}} above the sea level), the highest point of the ski resort. The total length of the lifts is {{convert|3620|m|ft|-1}}. There are 3 stations of them; the first one is ''Intersection'' Station ({{convert|2260|m|ft|-1|disp=sqbr}} above the sea level) (9 minute trip), then ''20th Prop'' Station ({{convert|2630|m|ft|-1|disp=sqbr}} above the sea level) (16.5 minutes) and ''Talgar pass'' Station ({{convert|3200|m|ft|-2|disp=sqbr}} above the sea level). There is also ''Snow-Park'' for the fans of [[snowboarding]].

The resort offers a ski and snowboard school. There is also ''Shymbulak'' hotel (4 stars) and [[ski]], [[snowboard]] and [[sleigh]] rentals.

The weather varies from {{convert|20|C|F}} in summer to {{convert|−7|C|F}} in winter and the snow base is about {{convert|1.5|to(-)|1.8|m|in|round=5}}.

[[Image:Shimbulak1.JPG|right|thumb|250px|Shymbulak Ski Area]]

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==
{{commonscat|Shymbulak}}
*[http://wikimapia.org/362171/ Shymbulak on Wikimapia]
* [[List of ski areas and resorts in Asia]]

[[Category:Ski areas and resorts in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Sport in Almaty]]

{{Kazakhstan-sport-stub}}
{{Ski-resort-stub}}

Port of Baku

2017-04-18T15:47:18Z

Ahwiv: update unknown parms in infobox

{{Infobox Port
| name = Port of Baku
| image = Portbaku.jpg
| imagesize = 250px
| caption = The passenger terminal

| country = [[Azerbaijan]]
| location = [[Baku]]
| coordinates = {{coord|40.2343|49.5256}}

| opened = 1902
| operated =
| owner = [[Azerbaijani government]]
| type =
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| berths = 11
| wharfs =
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| arrivals =
| cargotonnage = {{increase}} 25 million tons
| containervolume = {{steady}} 100,000 [[Twenty-foot equivalent unit|TEU]]
| cargovalue = 8 million tons
| passengertraffic =
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| website = [http://www.portofbaku.com/eng.html www.portofbaku.com]
}}

'''Port of Baku''' is a [[sea port]] located in the [[Bay of Baku]], on the coast of city of [[Baku]], [[Azerbaijan]]. The main entrance faces the [[Neftchiler Avenue]].

==History==
The Baku port was built in 1902 and has since been the largest and busiest port of the [[Caspian Sea]]. It has played an important role in the Caspian trade for over one hundred years and is the main marine gateway to Azerbaijan. The port operates non-stop and is an important transit point in Europe-Asia trade promoted within [[TRACECA]] - RESTORATION OF THE HISTORIC SILK ROUTE project incepted by the [[Baku Initiative]].<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://www.bakuseaport.az/mgt.html
|title= Baku International Sea Trade Port
|accessdate= August 25, 2010 }}</ref>

In the warmer periods of April to November when Russian inner waterways are navigable, the Baku International Sea Trade Port is accessible for cargo ships from West European and Mediterranean ports. With Azerbaijan's rising exports of energy resources primarily based offshore, the exploration and development equipment is delivered through the Baku port.<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://huckbody.co.uk/?page_id=37
|title= Baku Port
|accessdate= August 25, 2010 }}</ref>

It was among the world's leading ports and the largest of the Russian Empire in terms of cargo and passenger traffic. Various types of dry cargo such as cotton, fruit and sugar, were among some of the main trade goods at Port of Baku and other ports on the Caspian Sea such as Astrakhan, Krasnovodsk (today's Turkmenbashi), Petrovsk (today's Makhachkala) and Iranian ports. Already by 1900, annual cargo traffic had reached 6.5 million tonnes (around 400 million Russian ‘poods’) and the port served a total of 157,779 passengers in 1912. The Russian Empire also took advantage of the transit potential of Port of Baku with around 38.1 million ‘poods’ passing through Port of Baku as cargo in transit.
After gaining independence, the Republic of Azerbaijan established close economic relations with neighbouring countries. In 1998, Baku city held an international conference on the ‘Historic Silk Road’ in order to revive this ancient trade route and create the foundations for further processes of integration with the countries involved.

==Terminals==
The port consists of the Main Cargo Terminal, Dubendy Oil Terminal, Ferry Terminal, and Passenger Terminal. Its throughput capacity has been constantly growing and is now 15 million tons of liquid bulk and 10 million tons of dry cargoes.

The Main Cargo Terminal has 6 berths of total length of 866 meters. They are equipped with 16 portal cranes with lifting capacity up to 40 tons. 8 kilometers of stub railways ensure timely handling of cargo. The container terminal handles 100,000 containers annually. The ferry and passenger terminal provides transport for passengers travelling or shipping items to [[Türkmenbaşy, Turkmenistan|Turkmenbashi]], [[Aktau]], [[Oily Rocks]] and Iranian ports. There are about 20 vessels belonging to the port fleet.

According to the Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the ‘Construction of New Baku International Sea Trade Port Complex’ signed on March 18, 2007 the existing sea trade port will be demolished completely after the construction of a new port complex in Alat settlement, 65 km south of Baku. The new port will provide general cargo and passenger terminals, cargo handling and Ro/Ro facilities, rail ferry terminal connecting the ports of Aktau and Turkmenbashi as well as International Logistics Centre. The foundation of the new port complex was laid down in November 2010.

==The new Port of Baku at Alat==

[[File:The new Port of Baku at Alat.jpg|thumb|The new Port of Baku at Alat]]
[[File:The new Port of Baku at Alat2.jpg|thumb|The new Port of Baku at Alat]]

The new Port of Baku at Alat is a transportation hub linking the west (Turkey & EU), south (Iran & India) and north (Russia&Northern Europe). Situated in the vicinity of the regions of Azerbaijan, it will also increase its connectivity as an efficient hub and so increase the volume of cargo being handled. In addition, new port location is linked to existing highways and railways, connecting the port to the inland regions of the country. There are three international rail routes into Azerbaijan, which all converge at Alat:

• To the northwest, passing through Baku to Russia

• To the west, passing through Georgia to the shores of the Black Sea and Turkey.

• To the south and to the border area with Iran.

Phase One The new Port of Baku at Alat will be capable of serving 150 – 160 metre-long, 10,000 tonne capacity ferries and all other types of vessels serving the Caspian Sea. The location enables a modular expansion of all the facilities for different cargo segments (rail ferry, general cargo, container and bulk) once cargo turnover increases. Phase One of the new port in Alat comprises a ferry terminal, a general cargo berth, a Ro-Ro berth, a service berth, railway lines, various administrative buildings, a customs holding area, an open storage yard, warehouses, a container yard, rail and road access to berths, a Ro-Ro ramp, a passenger service building, a heavy lift landing area and a truck amenities area. Project completion dates for Phase One have been divided into three stages. The first stage—the Ferry (Rail) Terminal—was completed in September 2014; the second stage—the Ro-Ro Berth—will be completed in 2016; and the remaining works in 2017. 80% of the overall work for Phase One has already been completed. The lengths of the quays are as follows:

• Ferry (Rail) Terminal (two berths and a central jetty with a berth on either side), able to accommodate ‘Zarifa Aliyeva Rail Ferry’ type vessels (LOA 154.5 m, width 18.3m)

• General Cargo Quay – 650 m (4 berths)

• Ro-Ro Quay – 300 m (1 berth)

• Service Berth – 450 m (multiple berths) The berths are all dredged to -7 m Caspian datum. All direct transit rail transhipments between Azerbaijan and Europe or Central Asia (onto China and the rest of Asia) are via this Ferry (Rail) Terminal. Currently, if containers are transported to their final destination on a rail platform (without being unloaded and loaded onto a container vessel) they are transferred directly onto a rail platform and use the Ferry Terminal in the New Port. If they are unloaded from a rail platform and then loaded onto a dedicated container vessel, then they come to the old port in downtown Baku. With the completion of Phase One, all such intermodal operations will be done in the new Port of Baku at Alat. The completion of Phase One will also see an overall cargo throughput at the new Port of Baku at Alat of 10–11.5 million tonnes of general cargo and 40,000–50,000 TEU in containers.
Phase Two and Phase Three The expansion of the New Port is linked to the increased flow in potential cargo and on the speed of growth of the various business segments. In other words, the decision on when to start the construction of Phase Two and Phase Three will depend on existing cargo volumes. In general, these next phases are likely to follow the PPP (or BOT) type of partnership model, whereby a private party will likely invest, construct and operate these expansions. The forecasts for the three phases are as follows:

Phase One: 10–11.5 million tons of general cargo + 40,000–50,000 TEU;

Phase Two: 17 million tons of general cargo + 150,000 TEU;

Phase Three: 21–25 million tons of general cargo + up to 1 million TEU.

==Advisory agreement with UAE's DP World==

[[File:Signing Ceremony.jpg|thumb|The Ministry of Economy, the Port of Baku and DP World group of companies signing a contract on establishment of Alat FTZ]]

The Azerbaijani government, the Port of Baku and the group of companies DP Worlds (Dubai Port World – one of the world's largest port operators) signed an agreement to provide consulting services for the establishment of a free trade zone in Alat settlement of Baku.
The document was undersigned by Deputy Economy Minister Niyazi Safarov, Director General of Baku International Sea Trade Port Taleh Ziyadov and President of the DP Worlds group Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem at the special ceremony on September 7.
President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on March 17, 2016 on the measures to create special economic area of a free trade zone type in the Alat township of Baku's Garadagh district.
Azerbaijani Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev, who addressed the signing ceremony, noted that it is important to use Azerbaijan's transit potential for ensuring the sustainable development of the country.

Director-General of the Port of Baku Taleh Ziyadov said that Free Trade Zone project envisages the development of transport and logistics industry, pharmaceutical cluster, common-use oil supply base facilities, manufacturing, packaging, labeling and consolidation areas. “This is a part of a larger strategy of country’s president, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, to strengthen Azerbaijan’s non-oil economy and diversify it away from hydrocarbons,” he added.

Baku has everything necessary to become a focal point of Eurasia, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem noted during the meeting.
"We want to turn Baku into a coordination center of Eurasia. We believe that you have the necessary components for this – high-tech and resources. And we have the experience. Combining all this we (DP World and Baku International Sea Trade Port) can become a single strong commercial structure," he said.
"We want the commercial port not to be some kind of alternative for entrepreneurs, but become a necessity for businesses, as once we did in Dubai," Ahmed bin Sulayem noted.

Currently, about 80% of cargo is deemed to be transshipment, while 20% is gateway (such as fuel, construction materials, agriculture products and so on). This percentage split is likely to change with the start of FTZ, envisioned to be similar to the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), UAE. With it, the new Port of Baku will act as a major logistics hub in Central Eurasia, serving both European and Asian markets, as well as being part of an extensive international logistics network linking Europe and Asia. In particular, Port of Baku will trade & become the major centre for consolidation, concentration and distribution, providing a wide range of value-added services in the region to the markets of the South Caucasus, Central Asia, Iran, southern Russia and Turkey. There are a significant number of activities that can be classified as value-added services in the field of logistics. Generally, they fall into two categories:
• General Logistics Services, including storage, loading and unloading, stripping, unstuffing, groupage, consolidation and distribution.
• Value-Added Logistics (VAL), including repackaging, customizing, assembly, quality control, testing, repair, on-terminal, auto-accessorizing, grain storage and fumigating, news print storage, storage of commodities and transfer and in-container garment assembly.
General value-added services include services such as the maintenance, renting and leasing of equipment, cleaning facilities, tanking, safety, security services, offices and information and communication services of various kinds. VAL activities, in particular, are growing in importance as producers concentrate on meeting the demands of customers for high quality specialized products. New players in this field of third party logistics services providers will be attracted to the Port of Baku at Alat to take over parts of the production chain (assembly, quality control, customizing, packaging and others) and of the after-sales services (including repair and re-use).
FTZ would be in a natural position to participate in this logistics niche. It will be linked to other Caspian ports via high quality maritime connections through the New Port of Baku at Alat, and intermodal road and rail transport services from Alat to Georgia, Iran, Turkey, Russia and southeast Europe, while also providing air freight services from Baku International Airport.
The activity in FTZ will create an additional volume of cargo aimed at exports. The majority of these cargoes is likely to be transported in containers via the various intermodal forms of transport.

==Gallery==
<gallery caption="Baku International Sea Trade Port" widths="155px" heights="120px" class="centre">
Image: The newPort of Baku at Alat5.jpg|The new Port of Baku at Alat
Image: The new Port of Baku at Alat3.jpg| The new Port of Baku at Alat
Image: The new Port of Baku at Alat4.jpg|The new Port of Baku at Alat
Image: Main Cargo Terminal.jpg|Main Cargo Terminal
Image: Main Cargo Terminal2.jpg|Main Cargo Terminal
Image: Port of Baku, 2010.jpg|Cranes at Port of Baku
Image: Baku Port.jpg|Baku Port in 1900
Image: Bailovo, Baku, Azerbaijan.jpg|[[Bayil]] section of the port
Image:Port of baku.jpg |Cargo Discharging
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Commons category|Port of Baku}}
*[[Neftchiler Avenue]]
*[[Baku]]
*[[Transport in Azerbaijan]]
*[[State Maritime Administration (Azerbaijan)|State Maritime Administration of Azerbaijan Republic]]

==References==
<references/>

{{Baku landmarks}}

[[Category:Bays of Azerbaijan]]
[[Category:Ports and harbours of Azerbaijan]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Baku]]
[[Category:Caspian Sea]]