Kazakhstan appoints first female transport minister

Image: Ministry of transport of Kazakhstan

Asel Zhanassova has been appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport of Kazakhstan by presidential decree, becoming the first woman to lead the transport ministry in the nation’s post-independence history. She succeeds Nurlan Sauranbayev, who served in the post for less than 18 months.

Zhanassova moves into the cabinet role following tenure as Advisor to the President and Deputy Head of the Executive Office of the President. She previously served as Vice Minister of Trade and Integration from 2020 to 2022. Her executive track record includes transforming national postal operator Kazpost as CEO, leading state IT holding Zerde, and holding senior technology roles at the National Bank of Kazakhstan and the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC).

Asel Zhanassova holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Cambridge. She also completed a Master’s program delivered by the University of Cambridge and Lomonosov Moscow State University under the Executive Management track.

Introducing Zhanassova to the ministry’s executive team, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov underscored the critical mandate facing the sector, highlighting Kazakhstan’s strategic push to cement its role as Eurasia’s primary transit and logistics hub.

Central to this effort is an accelerated three-year airport infrastructure development program running through 2029. The plan targets extensive airside and landside upgrades, including the construction of three new runways at Astana, Shymkent, and Aktobe, as well as major runway overhauls at Almaty, Zhezkazgan, Taraz, and Uralsk.

Concurrently, passenger terminal expansions and modernizations are scheduled across seven regional airports: Aktobe, Atyrau, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Zhezkazgan, Semey, Pavlodar, and Urdzhar.

The Kazakh government is also evaluating feasibility studies for a new commercial airport to serve the capital Astana.