New Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane makes first flight in Kazakhstan
"On 28th March 1998, SCAT airline made its first flight from Almaty to Kyzylorda. Since then, the airline has made great advances in its work. The airline is developing as one of the largest in Kazakhstan, and operates about 58 flights per day and over 405 flights per week. Starting the summer of 2018, SCAT plans to launch flights to Europe from Astana to Vilnius, as well as from Astana to Tyumen, Chelyabinsk, Sochi, Batumi, Dushanbe," said Vice Minister for Investments and Development Timur Toktabayev.
The new aircraft fits perfectly into the airline's long-term strategy for both domestic and transit routes using Kazakhstan's advantageous geographical location between Europe and Asia.
It is worth mentioning the aircraft design as the new livery of the airplane was developed by a design agency of Boeing Company. The airline has chosen the newest Boeing 737 MAX 8 family as the main promising transport due to its high fuel efficiency in the narrow-body aircraft segment. The fuel consumption rate of the improved model aircraft is 14% lower than the most economical modern airliners.
The first Boeing plane of the new SCAT aircraft batch accommodates 186 passengers and is capable of flying non-stop both throughout Kazakhstan and overseas, up to 6,500 km at a speed of 840 km/h.
Presently, there are 20 western-made airplanes in SCAT'S fleet. Last year, the airline carried more than 1.9 million passengers. Moreover, the passenger traffic has increased by 47% in contrast to last year.