Kazakhstan is moving to expand biometric passenger boarding, introduce aerotaxis, and deploy AI-driven cargo systems as part of a wider digital transformation of its aviation sector. The plans were set out in instructions from Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and an update from the Ministry of Transport in mid-May.
On the passenger side, Kazakhstan is extending biometric processing at its airports. The country’s Q-Gate system, which uses biometric identification to clear travelers, has reduced passenger processing time from about three minutes to 50 seconds and currently operates at 16 terminals in Astana and Almaty. The Ministry of Transport plans to add the system at 16 more terminals in Shymkent, Atyrau, Aktobe, and Aktau during 2026, and a pilot biometric boarding project is launching on domestic flights between Astana and Shymkent.
The government is also preparing for urban air mobility. Bektenov instructed the Ministry of Transport to adopt legislation regulating aerotaxis and drones by the end of June. “Global regulators such as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in Europe and Federal Aviation Administration in the United States have developed certification rules for commercial aerotaxi aircraft,” Bektenov said. “We must also be ready.” Domestic companies have begun acquiring test unmanned aircraft and building landing sites and operational centers for future aerotaxi services.
For air cargo, Kazakhstan has implemented the IATA e-Freight standard across 17 airports and 56 airlines, replacing paper-based documentation with electronic registration and tracking. The Ministry of Transport says AI tools now automate document processing, cutting manual data entry from around 30 minutes to seconds, and that overall cargo processing time has fallen from 24 hours to one hour. Integration is underway with the KEDEN customs system to support paperless international cargo handling.
The biometric boarding expansion fits a broader national push on the technology. Kazakhstan has moved to launch a national system for remote biometric authentication and has deployed facial recognition in Astana and Almaty for public safety, placing airport boarding within a wider rollout of biometric identification across public infrastructure.
Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev’s ministry is overseeing the digital passenger infrastructure work alongside the cargo and urban-air-mobility measures. The aviation program also includes an expansion of aviation training, with government grants for aviation specialties rising from 180 in the 2022 to 2023 academic year to 618 in 2025 to 2026.
Sources: The Astana Times, KazTAG
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
