OREANDA-NEWS. The Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Karim Masimov considers that airline Air Astana is to acquire new planes. The Prime Minister stated his position on Wednesday during the government session.

K. Masimov instructed holding Samruk along with the Ministries of Economics and Budgetary Planning, Transport and Communication to work this issue out. The vice Minister of Transport and Communication Azat Bekturov informed that the airline Air Astana will purchase in 2007 six new planes, four of which have already arrived in Kazakhstan. According to the Ministry of Transport and Communication, by 2015 Air Astana plans to purchase up to 35 units of airplanes. The shareholders of Air Astana are: the government of Kazakhstan - 51 % of shares, BAE Systems Ltd - 49 %, reports Kazakhstan Today.