MRO Central Asia event in Astana highlights regional maintenance demand

Image: ato comm

Central Asia’s commercial aviation maintenance market was in focus on October 7–8, 2026, as the second MRO Central Asia: Kazakhstan took place in Astana. The two-day event brought together 300+ delegates representing 146 companies and organizations from 26 countries, reflecting the growing international interest in the region’s aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul and infrastructure. Attendees included representatives from airlines, MRO providers, original equipment manufacturers, region’s airports, component specialists, and financial institutions, alongside an exhibition featuring 14 international service suppliers.

The conference opened with the UK–Kazakhstan Aviation Partnership session, supported by the British Embassy Astana. Discussions involved officials and executives from the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan, the UK Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, Rolls-Royce, Airbus, and Air Astana Group. The initial sessions examined broader industry priorities, including regional ecosystem development, airport and cargo infrastructure expansion, technical training programs, and trade finance, with contributions from master-planning firms, airport operators, and UK Export Finance.

Subsequent sessions shifted to practical operational and commercial challenges facing operators in Central Asia. Panels covering aviation finance and multimodal logistics included perspectives from the AIFC Aviation Finance Hub, DHL Global Forwarding, and TroyAvi Aviation Consultants, accompanied by a MoU signed between ato comm and AIFC regarding aviation finance cooperation.

Discussions on supply chain issues, component repair, fuel-system maintenance, AOG composite repairs, quality assurance, and sustainable aviation fuel adoption featured technical input from FL Technics Wheels & Brakes, Norm Teknik, Intertek, Modern MRO, 360 DMG, and Worldwide Composite Services.

The event concluded with a panel featuring representatives from Air Astana, Alpha Sky Airline, FL Technics, Worldwide Composite Services, and TroyAvi Aviation Consultants, who discussed aligning regional maintenance capacities with ongoing fleet expansion.

The conference organizers announced that the third edition of MRO Central Asia: Kazakhstan is scheduled to return to Astana on October 6–7, 2027.