People
February 5th 2026
Air Astana announced the appointment of Gonçalo Pires as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective March 1, 2026. Read More » He will replace the current CFO, Ibrahim Canliel, who will be appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective April 1, 2026, as announced in October 2025. Since 2021, Gonçalo has been the CFO of TAP Air Portugal, where he redesigned and implemented its restructuring plan and launched several digitalisation initiatives. Prior to that, his career spanned almost two decades in finance, including senior roles in investment banking. "Having been the CFO of Portugal’s flag carrier for several years, Gonçalo has the right background to support Air Astana’s evolution and to capitalise on the growth opportunities in our markets. Together with Ibrahim, who in April will lead the airline after eight years as CFO, I am confident that Air Astana will continue to successfully execute its long-term growth strategy," the current CEO, Peter Foster, commented.
