Bek Air (Z9/BEK)

✈️ Bek Air (Z9/BKA)
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan’s short-lived low-cost pioneer

Bek Air was a Kazakh airline based at Oral Ak Zhol Airport (URA), founded in 1999 and initially operating business charters. It later grew into a domestic carrier, focusing on connecting regional cities across Kazakhstan — including Almaty, Nur-Sultan (Astana), Aktau, and Shymkent — with a fleet of Fokker 100 jets.

The airline positioned itself as a low-cost alternative in Kazakhstan’s aviation market, offering affordable fares and serving smaller airports that were often neglected by the country’s main carrier, Air Astana. Bek Air’s bright green-and-blue livery became a familiar sight on domestic routes.

However, tragedy struck on 27 December 2019, when Bek Air Flight 2100, a Fokker 100 from Almaty to Nur-Sultan, crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 12 people. Following the accident, the Kazakh government suspended Bek Air’s operations, citing safety violations. The airline’s Air Operator Certificate was revoked in April 2020, effectively ending its operations.

Bek Air remains a cautionary tale in Central Asian aviation — once seen as a sign of growing domestic connectivity, it ultimately became known for regulatory lapses and poor oversight, marking the end of the Fokker 100 era in Kazakhstan’s skies.