Smoke forces emergency landing of Air Astana flight

The Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan has provided details on an aviation incident involving smoke in the cabin of a passenger aircraft operating on the Almaty–Astana route.

According to the ministry, at 07:38 Astana time on December 17, 2025, an incident occurred during the operation of scheduled flight KC-851 from Almaty to Astana.

The aircraft involved was an Airbus A321neo with registration number EI-KDG, operated by Air Astana.

Based on information from the Main Air Traffic Planning Centre of KazAeronavigation, the flight crew declared a MAYDAY distress signal after smoke was detected in the aircraft cabin.

According to preliminary data, there were no casualties or injuries among passengers or crew members.

The aircraft made an emergency landing at 07:40. To ensure safety, the airport’s fire-fighting and emergency rescue services in Almaty were immediately deployed.

The ministry added that specialists from the Department for the Investigation of Transport Accidents and Incidents are currently working to determine the full circumstances and causes of the incident.

By Tamilla Hasanova