LONDON – With air travel into Kazakhstan heating up in recent months, how is Air Astana expanding its revenue source to take as much advantage of this as possible?
The Kazakh-based airline has today announced it is joining forces with WorldTicket to expand its global sales capabilities and international passenger base.
The Partnership Arrangement…
Because of this partnership, Air Astana will be able to place its brand out there internationally to over 190 markets through the WorldTicket domain.
It is understood also that WorldTicket will provide global ticketing and GDS distribution solutions to help the carrier scale its international presence sufficiently.
Commenting on this arrangement was Adel Dauletbek, the VP of Marketing and Sales at Air Astana:
“As markets reopen and we resume international flights and regain 2019 demand levels, our partnership with WorldTicket will help us expand to new destinations”.
“Working with WorldTicket allows us to grow our passenger base, access a wider array of travel options for customers, and generate additional revenue.”
Also commenting on this partnership is Peer Winter, the VP of Commercial Business Development at WorldTicket:
“Air Astana joins our fast-growing airline network at a pivotal time for airlines as they look to rebuild capacity and revenue”.
“Through our combined W2 Aggregation and Ticketing solutions, Air Astana can grow its international network and sales reach at speed and scale, both of which are vital for improving load factors and driving much-needed revenues.”
W2 Aggregation & Ticketing…
With passenger demand in Europe during June 2022 enjoying a 25% share of worldwide traffic, according to IATA data, Air Astana passengers flying into the region can optimize their booking and travel experience with air and rail provided on the same itinerary using WorldTicket’s technology.
Travelers flying into Frankfurt, Hanover, or Amsterdam can now book onward connections with Europe’s largest railway operator, Deutsche Bahn (DB), either directly with the airline or through traditional and online travel agencies.
As regional and global travel demand levels return, the company’s W2 Aggregation and Ticketing solutions provide airlines with the most cost-effective technology to quickly expand their distribution and reach in response to market needs without adding IT complexity or lengthy implementation times.
Travel agents also benefit from both W2 solutions by processing more itineraries at scale and providing customers with more travel options that improve agents’ revenue and profitability.
While Air Astana already connects to top European hubs like London (LHR), Amsterdam (AMS), Istanbul (IST), and Frankfurt (FRA), the airline can now easily tap into new and niche travel markets using the company’s W2 Ticketing solution for an expanded distribution network; travel agents worldwide can book Air Astana flights in all the major Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) including Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport.
Overall…
It remains clear that this agreement made with Air Astana is a big move in being able to bring Kazakhstan further onto the global stage, especially when it comes to enhancing tourism.
With the carrier looking at adding 24 new aircraft to its fleet, it’s a clear indicator that demand for air travel with the carrier is on the rise, and WorldTicket will help them achieve this.
It’s going to be interesting to see how Air Astana will perform with this uptick in demand and whether we could see a substantial expansion, with Kazakhstan at the heart of this.
