A new regional training center in the field of aviation will be opened in Astana. It will be aimed at attracting leading specialists with the expertise and experience in all fields of aviation. According to the Government officials, the institute will meet international best practices. Students from all over Central Asia are expected to be trained in the facility.

TALGAT LASTAYEV, CHAIRMAN, KAZAKHSTAN CIVIL AVIATION COMMITTEE:
- The flight crew members are the most popular professions, followed by the engineering staff that provides aircrafts maintenance service. Currently, the airline companies are providing training of the flight crew members themselves, or sending them for training and internship. For the most part, engineers are teaching the staff themselves. We have training facilities, but the graduates do not always fully meet the current requirements.

The regional institute will also address the shortage of aviation professionals caused by the fast-growing rate of air travel. According to the official data, over 14 million people used the services of the Kazakh airline companies in 2017. The Kazakh aviation officials plan to increase the number by 35 per cent by 2020. The most popular flight destinations of the Kazakh citizens are Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and China. There are 20,000 specialists responsible for flight safety in Kazakhstan, but this number is not enough.

MAKASH ABISHEV, HONORED PILOT OF KAZAKHSTAN:
- There were special detachments in every city and every region where the aviation professionals were trained. A pilot of Antonov An-2 after gaining a certain experience will be promoted to a bigger aircraft and so on. That’s the way the way they were trained.

The Kazakh aviation officials also address the development of the light aircrafts. The establishment of the infrastructure that meets the modern standards requires over 23 billion Tenge. The Government officials also plan to introduce the British aviation industry model in Kazakhstan. A national company is planned to be established in Kazakhstan for the successful implementation of the project.