Airlines Qazaq Air and China Express Airlines sign partnership agreement

During the official visit of the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev in China, CEO of Qazaq Air Blair Treherne Pollock and the CEO of China Express Airlines Co., Ltd. Long-Jiang Wu have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a partnership.

According to aviation media, the Memorandum of Understanding contains a strategic cooperation between the operators in relation to the area of international and especially regional passenger transportation. Furthermore, China Express Airlines could gain equity in Qazaq Air as part of the airlines´ privatization.

Both airlines seek to use its good neighbour partnership to strengthen economic and trade links between the two countries.

Blair Treherne Pollock, CEO of Qazaq Air, said: "Within this Memorandum, two regional airlines will have the opportunity to discuss the exchange of cross-border passenger traffic and the possibility of direct financial investment by China Express Airlines into the development of our company."

Qazaq Air hopes to get direct access to the Chinese regional passenger feed as well. The airline is being wholly-owned by Kazakhstan´s national welfare fund Samruk-Kazyna. Qazaq Air is a regional carrier based in Almaty and commenced operations in August 2015. Currently, the fleet consists of two Bombardier Dash 8 Q400. In early 2019 the operator will take delivery of two further Q400s to boost its international growth.

China Express Airlines is a Chinese regional carrier, headquartered at the Chongqing International Airport. The carrier serves more than 70 destinations and operates with a fleet of three Airbus A320s and 35 Bombardier CRJ900s. The company was founded in 2006 and employs more than 2000 people.