Air Astana was incorporated in late 2001 and its maiden flight was on the 15th May 2002. Today Air Astana operates a fleet of 34 western aircraft with an average age of 8.45 years. It operates over 60 domestic and international routes. Its passengers are served by more than 4,700 highly qualified staff, the majority of whom are from Kazakhstan, supplemented by experienced foreign personnel. Since autumn 2005 the Air Astana team has been headed by Peter Foster, an airline executive with more than 30 years of management experience.