FlyArystan A320 fire during maintenance

An 11-year-old Airbus A320 operated by budget carrier FlyArystan caught fire on Friday while undergoing scheduled maintenance at Almaty Airport (ALA). One employee was injured, receiving medical attention before being discharged from hospital later the same day.

Air Astana Group, the parent company, confirmed there were no crew or passengers on board during what it termed an 'operational incident'. Airport emergency services responded quickly, containing and extinguishing the blaze, which was confined to a small area of the aircraft's nose.

Details of the Incident

According to a report from Aviacionline, the fire produced smoke near the rear of the aircraft. Flames were seen as part of a glow in the nose gear bay, located below the cockpit. This area typically houses equipment such as the crew's oxygen bottles. The Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan (AAK) has not yet published its findings on the cause.

The aircraft involved has been withdrawn from service for a full assessment and repair. Maintenance fires often result in aircraft being out of service for weeks or months. This allows for a complete structural evaluation to check if heat affected other vital electrical equipment or hydraulic lines.

Aircraft History and Fleet

The specific plane is an 11.9-year-old A320-200 with registration EI-KBN. It first joined the FlyArystan fleet in March 2021. Previously, it flew for Indian carrier Vistara under registration VT-TTE from November 2014 until being stored in September 2020.

The aircraft, with manufacturer serial number (MSN) 6343, first flew under French Airbus registration F-WWBR. It is configured in an all-economy layout with a capacity for 180 passengers. FlyArystan's fleet consists of 15 A320-200s, eight of which were acquired from Vistara. The airline also operates the A320neo.

Flight data shows the aircraft did not operate on the day of the fire. On the previous day, however, it completed eight sectors. You can review similar operational data for other carriers on our fixtures page.

Airline Background

FlyArystan is Kazakhstan's first low-cost carrier, founded in November 2018 and wholly owned by full-service airline Air Astana. Its slogan is 'Say YES! to Travel'. The airline operates an all-A320 family fleet to simplify operations and flies a network of domestic and international routes.

In 2022, Skytrax awarded the airline a 4-star rating, a distinction held by only 12 carriers assessed at that level. In 2023, it was voted the best low-cost carrier in Central Asia. For insights into how airlines manage their operational assets, our squad page provides comparative data.

This fire is one of the few recorded incidents for the airline. Another occurred in February 2024, when a FlyArystan A320 took a wrong taxiway at Mumbai Airport, crossing a runway holding line. In January 2025, another aircraft suffered a bird strike on a flight to Astana but landed safely with minor engine damage.