Air Astana Group, owner of the flag carrier of Kazakhstan, has announced that current CEO Peter Foster will retire from his position at the end of March 2026.
Foster will also retire from the board of directors of the company, but he will continue to work with the board as a senior advisor.
“The board of directors would like to thank Peter for his outstanding achievement in guiding the company for 20 years, from its post start-up phase to its position today as Kazakhstan and Central Asia’s leading airline,” Air Astana Group said in a statement.
Ibrahim Canliel, the group’s current CFO, will succeed Foster as CEO at the end of March 2026.
Canliel has worked for Air Astana Group since 2003, initially in senior commercial roles and subsequently as CFO, a post he has held since 2017.
Air Astana Group is the largest airline group in Central Asia and the Caucasus regions by revenue and fleet size.
The group operates a fleet of 61 aircraft split between Air Astana, its full-service airline that operated its inaugural flight in 2002, and FlyArystan, its low-cost airline that was established in 2019.