Peter Foster’s Resignation: FlyArystan Embezzlement Case or Family? New Theory Emerges

On October 8, Air Astana announced that Peter Foster, a British national who had headed the airline for two decades, was stepping down. The sudden resignation sparked numerous theories — from flight delays and internal management tensions to personal reasons.

Two days later, however, a new explanation emerged, one connected to an unresolved issue from last year.

Orda.kz examined what that issue might be.

Journalist Mikhail Kozachkov suggested that Foster’s departure could be related to a billion-tenge embezzlement case at Air Astana’s low-cost subsidiary FlyArystan.

The Case

On December 4, 2024, reports surfaced on social media about large-scale theft at Air Astana — the first time the ₸1 billion figure appeared. That same day, the airline issued an official statement confirming the theft, though without specifying the amount.

It clarified that the funds had been stolen from FlyArystan.

FlyArystan’s management discovered evidence of theft and engaged an audit firm to conduct an independent investigation. The investigation confirmed the theft, and the airline has since contacted law enforcement agencies to identify the perpetrators and seek compensation for damages,
 the company said at the time.

No new information emerged before October 2025.

Orda.kz reviewed court case materials mentioning Air Astana. These documents show that the internal investigation began as early as March 2024, when a memo called for the removal of three FlyArystan employees from their positions: Daur Yerkenuly, Yerkin Isanov, and Renat Abulkhanov. 

They were accused of fraudulent air ticketing schemes.

Who Are They?

• Daur Yerkenuly – Senior Sales Manager at FlyArystan, listed as such in 2023 by the Azerbaijani news agency AzerTAc in a report about the Astana–Baku route.
• Yerkin Isanov – Revenue Manager at FlyArystan, cited under this title in a December 2023 report by 24KZ.
• Renat Abulkhanov – Director of Route Network Planning and Revenue Management at FlyArystan, mentioned by Orda.kz in February 2022.

Abulkhanov's LinkedIn profile shows he has been with FlyArystan since 2019, after earlier positions at Qazaq Air, Kcell, and Air Astana itself.

The timing is notable: their suspensions came just days before FlyArystan was officially designated an independent company, though still under Air Astana’s ownership.

The Audit 

Following the internal probe, Ernst & Young Consulting Services conducted an independent audit, completing it on October 17, 2024. The auditors confirmed the internal findings:

Since the audit report confirmed the theft of funds by employees D. Yerkenuly, E. S. Isanov, R. R. Abulkhanov, and other individuals in the amount of ₸1,054,710,181, Air Astana JSC filed a request with the Almaty City Department of Economic Investigations to initiate a pre-trial investigation,
 reads one of the court documents.

The Department of Economic Investigations responded by opening a criminal case on November 29, 2024, under Article 189, Part 4, Section 2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan — “Theft of another person’s property entrusted to the perpetrator, on an especially large scale.”

The charge carries a maximum sentence of 12 years’ imprisonment with confiscation of property.

The same documents indicate that Yerkenuly, Isanov, and Abulkhanov were taken into custody and placed in pre-trial detention. Orda.kz has sent a request to the Almaty Department of Economic Investigations to clarify the current status of the case and whether the suspects remain in detention.

Bottom Line

The timing of the scandal’s court hearings could explain Foster’s exit.

However, Orda.kz found no current criminal court cases in Almaty mentioning the three suspects or FlyArystan. Requests for clarification have been sent to the Department of Economic Investigations.

Still, the theory that Peter Foster’s resignation is tied to the embezzlement case remains plausible — especially given the parallels with previous management changes.

In April 2024, a month after the internal investigation concluded, FlyArystan General Director Adrian Hamilton-Manns also stepped down, citing a desire to “spend more time with his family.” The explanation is strikingly similar to that of Peter Foster’s wife, who said the longtime Air Astana chief was leaving to “return to his family.”

Original Author: Igor Ulitin