A new airline is coming: Qazaq Air and Vietjet Air Join Forces

At the Kazakhstan–Vietnam Business Roundtable, Qazaq Air and Vietjet Air officially announced the launch of Vietjet Qazaqstan, a new low-cost carrier set to connect Kazakhstan with Vietnam, Southeast Asia, and beyond.

Being the world’s best ultra-low-cost carrier, most of us have heard of Vietjet Air. Their success is something to be admired—and one that other airlines often model.

But who is Qazaq Air, and are they safe?

Qazaq Air is a regional airline based in Astana, Kazakhstan, established in 2015. It was created to improve domestic air connectivity across Kazakhstan and neighbouring regions. The airline operates from its main hub at Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport in Astana.

Qazaq Air runs a fleet of five De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 turboprop aircraft, with an average age of 8.4 years. The airline currently serves over 25 destinations within Kazakhstan, along with select international routes in the region.

The airline has a clean safety record with no crashes or serious incidents. It is certified by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and meets the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) standards—demonstrating a strong commitment to safety and reliability. AirlineRatings awards Qazaq Air a seven out of seven-star safety rating, and the new airline will carry this top safety rating forward.

Vietjet Qazaqstan will build on Qazaq Air’s foundation, aiming to grow into a leading low-cost airline powered by a fleet of at least 20 Boeing 737 aircraft. To support this, Vietjet Qazaqstan has also signed an agreement with Boeing to provide everything from spare parts and software to pilot training and technical support—ensuring smooth operations from day one.

This partnership will create thousands of high-quality jobs, boost trade and tourism, and bring Kazakhstan closer to the heart of Asia’s aviation network. Vietjet brings its global know-how, modern systems, and proven track record, just like it did in Thailand, where Vietjet Thailand is now one of the top low-cost carriers.

We’re excited to see where this goes, and our feeling here at AirlineRatings is that it will be a huge success.