March 25, 2026 Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Adylbek Kasymaliev held a meeting with Peter Sorensen, Chairman of the EU Air Safety Committee and Deputy Head of Unit Aviation Safety at the European Commission. The meeting was also attended by the Ambassador of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic, Remy Duflot.
During the discussions, the European Commission representative noted that the current visit represents an important stage in the ongoing assessment of the country’s aviation sector. The final decision is expected to be made in May this year at a meeting of the EU Air Safety Committee.
Following the audit, Peter Sørensen gave a positive assessment of the progress achieved by Kyrgyzstan, emphasizing that the European side highly appreciates the results attained over a relatively short period.
In turn, Adylbek Kasymaliev highlighted the steady development of the aviation sector. Passenger traffic has increased to more than 6 million in 2025, while the number of flights rose from 34,000 in 2021 to 52,000. In addition, all 11 airports in the country have undergone modernization.
These transformations became possible due to the initiative of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sadyr Japarov, to establish the State Civil Aviation Agency. This has allowed for the creation of a modern state safety oversight system and the successful implementation of the International Civil Aviation Organization standards.
The Head of the Cabinet of Ministers also reported that two Airbus A321 aircraft have already been acquired, and by 2030, the national fleet is expected to be expanded with an additional ten aircraft under leasing arrangements.
Furthermore, the Kyrgyz Republic has successfully passed two comprehensive international audits conducted under the auspices of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), covering both Aviation Safety and Aviation Security. These major milestones demonstrate significant progress and the country's strong commitment to maintaining robust aviation oversight capabilities.
