en.Wedoany.com Reported - Air Astana recently achieved a significant milestone by completing its 50th C-check in-house. The airline's two facilities in Astana and Almaty, Kazakhstan, can now handle all Airbus A320 family C-checks internally, meaning its heavy maintenance work has shifted from outsourcing to full autonomous control, thereby better managing fleet reliability. This transition is supported by a growing team of European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certified engineers. Aviation Week interviewed Robert Dando, Technical Director of Air Astana, on capacity, investment, and workforce planning.
By internalizing A320 C-checks, the company has achieved measurable cost savings and gained greater flexibility in fleet planning. It is now possible to adjust maintenance schedules to match operational needs, extending aircraft service life and optimizing downtime when required. Turnaround times are competitive, and the company continuously reviews performance to improve efficiency without compromising safety or quality.
In Astana, the company can operate two C-check production lines simultaneously; Almaty can support an additional line when needed. Astana is the primary maintenance and overhaul base, approved by EASA and the Kazakhstan Aviation Administration to perform all A320 family checks, including 12-year D-checks and six-year checks. Current operational bottlenecks are mainly related to aircraft storage cycles associated with Pratt & Whitney engines, which compress maintenance schedules when the timeline for returning aircraft to service coincides with planned C1 checks. In these cases, Almaty provides overflow capacity to relieve pressure on the main line.
Currently, the company's capacity is fully utilized to serve Air Astana and FlyArystan aircraft. The company is building two additional hangars in Astana and one in Almaty to support fleet growth and the introduction of the Boeing 787. Once this capacity comes online, offering third-party maintenance and overhaul services will become possible. It holds EASA and national approvals for the A320 family but will need additional customer and regulatory approvals through the audit process.
To cultivate and retain EASA-certified engineers, the company launched an internal apprenticeship program three years ago. Apprentices are employed full-time and trained according to EASA Part 66 and Part 147 standards, graduating with national and EASA licenses. Existing staff are also supported through structured self-study plans to obtain EASA certification, strengthening internal capabilities.
For deeper-level maintenance, the company has performed 12-year D-checks in Astana and established a dedicated structural repair team capable of handling structural modifications, component replacements, and repairs. From a technical perspective, the company is building the capability to perform all maintenance and modification work required by the fleet strategy.
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