Air Astana and UN Women Partner to Support Women in Aviation
Air Astana and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on September 23 aimed at promoting gender equality and expanding employment opportunities for women in the aviation industry.
Under the partnership, the two organisations plan to conduct joint awareness initiatives highlighting career opportunities for women in aviation, share best practices to support women’s leadership and launch initiatives encouraging the next generation of women to pursue careers in the aviation sector.
According to the figures released, more than 9,500 women currently work in Kazakhstan’s aviation industry, including 2,005 cabin crew members, around 400 engineers and 104 air traffic controllers. Data from the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan shows that only 34 of the country’s 1,459 pilots are women.
At Air Astana, 20 of the airline’s 645 pilots are women. Among its 598 technical employees, 21 are female engineers and technicians. Women account for 45% of senior management positions and 56% of the company’s total workforce.
On May 25, 2026, Air Astana became the first airline in the region to join the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), developed by UN Women and the United Nations Global Compact.
