An Air Astana Airbus A321-271NX operating flight KZR851 from Almaty to Astana was involved in a serious incident on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, after smoke developed in the cabin shortly after takeoff.
The aircraft, registered EI-KDG, had departed Almaty International Airport (ALA) during the initial climb when the crew detected smoke in the cabin and elected to return to Almaty as a precaution.
The A321neo landed safely back at ALA, and no injuries were reported among passengers or crew. There was no damage to the aircraft.
Kazakhstan’s Aviation Incident Investigation Department (AIID) has confirmed it will investigate the incident to determine the source of the smoke and any contributing technical or operational factors.
Images: Flightradar24, Jetphotos