Air Astana CEO Peter Foster to step down in 2026

The Air Astana board of directors announced on Oct. 8 that the company’s CEO, Peter Foster, will step down from his role and leave the board at the end of March 2026. Chief Financial Officer Ibrahim Canliel will assume the position of CEO.

Foster, who has led the airline for 20 years, will continue his cooperation with Air Astana as a senior advisor to the board of directors.

Chairman of the board Nurlan Zhakupov expressed the board’s gratitude for Foster’s two decades of leadership and his contribution to the airline’s development — from its formative years to its emergence as a leading carrier in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

According to Zhakupov, Ibrahim Canliel has been with the Air Astana Group since 2003, leading various commercial functions and serving as CFO since 2017. The board is confident that under Canliel’s leadership, the company will continue to grow and strengthen its position in the market.

«His contribution has been immense and he brings with him great experience of both the Group and of the airline industry. The Board has the fullest confidence that he will guide the company to continued growth and success,» Zhakupov said.