Kazakhstan to strengthen safety requirements for passenger transportation

Kazakh airlines will be banned from arbitrarily including passengers in the black list without a court decision. Citizens can be added there only for offenses committed aboard the aircraft, and only if they are proven guilty as a result of bringing them to criminal or administrative liability. The rules governing this issue are laid down in the draft law on transport, which the Mazhilis approved today. The document also introduces the concept of ‘just culture’. Its basic principle is intolerance against deliberate violations or negligent behavior in the civil aviation industry. The new rules, among other things, involve the imposition of fines on air carriers for each hour of flight delay due to their fault. In addition, airlines are obliged to provide passengers with a hotel and meals if the flight is delayed by eight hours, rather than 10, as before.

“The proposed rule was approved by the Mazhilis. If there is a delay in the flight due to the airline’s fault, which, unfortunately, happens, then a 3 percent penalty of the ticket price will be charged for each hour of the delay, but it should not exceed the cost of the ticket itself. For example, if the flight ticket was purchased for 20,000 tenge, then 3 percent of this 20,000 tenge will be subtracted for every hour of the delay. The mechanism will be further worked out,” said Albert Rau, Member of Mazhilis, Lower House of Kazakh Parliament.

In accordance with the amendments, Kazakhstan will strengthen the safety of passenger transport in all modes of transport.

Translation by Assem Zhanmukhanova

Editing by Galiya Khassenkhanova