Peter Foster, President of Kazakhstani carrier Air Astana, has stated that the airline is “likely” to launch an IPO in the next two or three years.
Astana had originally planned to float a minimum of 20% of its shares via a domestic IPO in late 2012 to early 2013. However, the proposal was delayed due to issues with 49%-stakeholder BAE Systems combined with unfavourable market conditions.
Astana has seen strong growth ever since its launch 12 years ago, and a number of fleet expansions are set to take place over the next few months.
The airline is also preparing to issue a request for proposal (RFP) to lessors this summer, as it seeks a new narrow-body aircraft as a replacement for its B757s. Astana has expressed interest in the A321neo and B737MAX, and a final decision is expected by beginning of Q4 2014.