ASTANA – Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has ordered the acceleration of the development of a legislative framework for the introduction of air taxis, drones, and other new modes of air transport, Zakon.kz reports.
According to him, Kazakhstan should consider international experience, as regulators such as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the Federal Aviation Administration have already developed certification standards for commercial urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles.
The Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan has been tasked with preparing the necessary legislative amendments for the launch of the UAM system by the end of June 2026.
The practical phase of the project has already begun: on May 18, a test flight of an unmanned air taxi from the Chinese company AutoFlight took place in Alatau. Authorities previously stated that the first commercial flights could begin in the next two to three years.
Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev previously noted that the development of the low-altitude economy will be one of the key areas of the new city. Kazakhstan has already signed agreements with the American company Joby Aviation and AutoFlight. At the end of 2025, an agreement was reached to purchase a batch of unmanned air taxis worth $300 million.
Alatau, established in 2024 in the Almaty region, is seen as the country's new innovation center. The project, initiated by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, is positioned as a technological and economic hub of the future.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
May 19, 2026