Kazakhstan’s Civil Aviation Compliance Rises to 95.7% — ICAO Audit Shows

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has released the results of a comprehensive audit of Kazakhstan conducted from August 30 to September 15, 2025, Orda.kz reports.

The audit found that Kazakhstan now complies with 95.7% of ICAO’s international safety standards, a sharp improvement from the previous score of 83%. This places the country above both the global average of 72.01% and the European average of 87.92%, moving Kazakhstan up more than a dozen positions in the rankings.

Among neighboring countries, comparable scores were achieved by the UAE (98.4%), Qatar (96.72%), and Saudi Arabia (94.41%).

According to the Ministry of Transport, this progress reflects aviation reforms launched in 2019, including the establishment of the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan, higher training standards for specialists, and the introduction of risk-based oversight mechanisms.

Officials believe that the improved rating could strengthen confidence among international carriers and help pave the way for direct flights between Kazakhstan and the United States, including a potential route to New York.

Original Author: Alexandra Mokhireva