Bishkek, March 25, 2026. /Kabar/. Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliev met with the Chairman of the European Union Aviation Safety Committee, Deputy Head of the European Commission Safety Unit Peter Sorensen.
The main topic of discussion was the issue of removing Kyrgyz airlines from the EU aviation safety list. The meeting was also attended by the European Union Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Remi Duflo.
In his speech, Adylbek Kasymaliev emphasized that Peter Sorensen's visit is of fundamental importance for the country.
"We consider interaction with the European Union a priority and highly appreciate the professional approach of European institutions to aviation safety issues," the chairman noted.
The situation in the industry has fundamentally changed thanks to the decision of the President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov to establish the State Agency for Civil Aviation.
"This allowed us to build a modern system of state regulation, strengthen supervision and ensure the introduction of ICAO global standards," he said.
He also spoke about the specific results of the reforms carried out.
"Passenger traffic increased from 3.9 million people in 2021 to more than 6 million people in 2025, the number of flights increased from 34 thousand to 52 thousand (an increase of 53%), all 11 airports in the country have been restored and modernized. Our plans to launch long-haul flights. Two Airbus A321 aircraft have been acquired, and it is planned to deliver 10 more aircraft under leasing terms by 2030," Kasymaliev said.
He also noted that the systematic nature of the reforms is confirmed by international audit data. According to him, the level of effective implementation of standards in Kyrgyzstan along the ICAO line has reached 85.76%.
In turn, Peter Sorensen expressed his high satisfaction with the visible success. He welcomed the significant steps taken in the field of legislation and improving the regulatory framework, noting that the European side was impressed by the results achieved during this period. According to him, the level of support for the aviation sector by the Kyrgyz government is truly impressive.
The representative of the European Commission added that the current visit is an important part of the open evaluation process, and the final decision will be made at a meeting of the relevant EU committee in May 2026.
Summing up the results of the meeting, Adylbek Kasymaliev confirmed that Kyrgyzstan will continue to actively strengthen the legislative and institutional framework of the sector.
"This issue is definitely a priority for us. I am sure that a positive decision by the EU will open up new opportunities for the development of aviation and the economy of our country," the head of the cabinet concluded.