P4-EAS – Air Astana Boeing 757: From Germany to Kazakhstan

For almost seventeen years, P4-EAS was part of the international face of Air Astana.

The Boeing 757 connected Kazakhstan with cities thousands of kilometres away.

London.

Frankfurt.

Bangkok.

Hong Kong.

Moscow.

Its combination of range, performance and relatively compact size made the Boeing 757 particularly well suited to an airline building a network between Europe and Asia.

But P4-EAS had already lived another life before arriving in Kazakhstan.

The aircraft began its career in Germany.

Its original registration was D-AMUG.

Delivered new to LTU in 1998, it spent its first five years carrying holidaymakers from Germany before moving east in 2003.

There, D-AMUG became P4-EAS.

And what had been a German leisure aircraft became one of the long-serving aircraft of Kazakhstan's growing national airline.

By the time P4-EAS operated its final commercial flight in March 2020, the aircraft had been flying for more than 21 years.

Today, part of its genuine fuselage skin has been preserved by Aircrafttag.

Born as D-AMUG

The aircraft was built as a Boeing 757-2G5 with manufacturer serial number MSN 29488 and Boeing line number 830.

It emerged from Boeing's Renton production line in 1998.

On 24 October 1998, the aircraft performed its first flight.

One week later, on 31 October, it was delivered to German leisure airline LTU.

Its registration was D-AMUG.

The brand-new Boeing 757 was ferried from Seattle to Düsseldorf on the same day.

Powered by two Rolls-Royce RB211-535E4 engines, D-AMUG entered a very different aviation world from the one it would later experience in Kazakhstan.

Its first job was holiday flying.

Five Years with LTU

LTU was one of Germany's most recognizable leisure airlines.

Its red-and-white aircraft carried millions of passengers from German airports to destinations around the Mediterranean and beyond.

D-AMUG became part of that operation.

For almost five years, the Boeing 757 flew in LTU colours.

Its powerful engines and excellent performance made the 757 particularly versatile.

It could efficiently operate shorter European sectors while still possessing the range required for substantially longer missions.

But D-AMUG's LTU career was relatively short.

On 2 September 2003, it operated its final commercial service for the German airline.

The route was Corfu to Munich.

Later that month, D-AMUG flew to Hamburg to be repainted.

By then, it had accumulated 16,394 flight hours and 6,027 landings.

A completely new life was about to begin.

From D-AMUG to P4-EAS

On 8 October 2003, D-AMUG was removed from the German aircraft register.

The aircraft then moved to Air Astana.

Its new registration was P4-EAS.

Its new home was Kazakhstan.

The geographic change was enormous.

The aircraft that had spent its first years carrying European holidaymakers was now based in Central Asia.

And instead of another short chapter, P4-EAS would remain with Air Astana for almost seventeen years.

A Young Airline with Global Ambitions

Air Astana itself was still a young airline when P4-EAS arrived.

The carrier had only begun commercial operations in 2002.

Kazakhstan presented an unusual aviation challenge.

The country is enormous.

Its cities are separated by great distances.

And its geographic position places it between some of the world's most important regions.

Europe to the west.

China and East Asia to the east.

Russia to the north.

The Middle East and South Asia to the south.

For a young airline attempting to connect Kazakhstan with the world, the Boeing 757 offered an extremely useful combination of range and capacity.

P4-EAS became part of that expansion.

Connecting Kazakhstan with the World

From its base in Kazakhstan, P4-EAS began appearing at major international airports far beyond Central Asia.

London Heathrow.

Frankfurt.

Hong Kong.

Bangkok.

The aircraft became a familiar representative of Air Astana outside Kazakhstan. Photographic records document P4-EAS at Heathrow, Frankfurt, Hong Kong and numerous other destinations during its career.

This was a very different mission from its original LTU operation.

P4-EAS was no longer primarily carrying holidaymakers from Germany toward Mediterranean resorts.

It was helping connect Kazakhstan with Europe and Asia.

For Air Astana, the Boeing 757 became one of the aircraft that helped establish its international network during the airline's formative years.

Why the Boeing 757 Worked

The Boeing 757 occupied an unusual position in commercial aviation.

It was a narrow-body aircraft with performance approaching that of much larger long-haul aircraft.

Its two Rolls-Royce engines produced substantial thrust.

Its aerodynamic design gave it impressive range.

And its take-off performance made it particularly capable from challenging airports.

That combination proved valuable in Central Asia.

P4-EAS could serve shorter regional routes while also operating sectors stretching thousands of kilometres toward Western Europe or Southeast Asia.

Few aircraft of its size offered the same combination.

That flexibility helped keep the Boeing 757 relevant long after newer aircraft had entered the market.

A New Look – Winglets

P4-EAS continued to evolve during its Air Astana career.

In January 2009, the aircraft travelled to Lasham in England.

There, an important modification began.

Blended winglets were installed.

The conversion was completed on 8 February 2009, changing the aircraft's designation to Boeing 757-2G5(WL).

Immediately afterwards, P4-EAS travelled to Bristol, where it received new paint between 10 and 19 February.

The large winglets dramatically changed the appearance of the aircraft.

But they served a practical purpose.

By reducing aerodynamic drag, winglets could improve fuel efficiency, particularly on longer sectors.

For an aircraft regularly connecting Kazakhstan with distant international destinations, that mattered.

EXPO 2017

P4-EAS also became connected with one of the most important international events held in Kazakhstan.

Between 2015 and 2017, the aircraft carried special stickers promoting EXPO 2017 in Astana.

The theme of the exhibition was Future Energy.

For Kazakhstan, the event was an opportunity to present the country to millions of international visitors.

And Air Astana's aircraft became flying ambassadors.

P4-EAS carried the EXPO message around its international network.

An aircraft that had already become part of Kazakhstan's connection with the world was now actively promoting an event designed to bring the world to Kazakhstan.

Seventeen Years with Air Astana

The years continued to accumulate.

2003 became 2010.

2010 became 2015.

And P4-EAS kept flying.

Eventually, the aircraft had spent far longer with Air Astana than it ever had with LTU.

The Boeing 757 became part of the airline's established identity.

But aviation technology was moving forward.

New generations of aircraft offered similar range with newer engines and improved fuel efficiency.

Air Astana began introducing aircraft such as the Airbus A321LR.

The role once filled by the Boeing 757 could increasingly be performed by a modern narrow-body twin with significantly newer technology.

After more than two decades of flying, P4-EAS was approaching retirement.

Bangkok to Almaty – The Final Commercial Flight

On 19 March 2020, P4-EAS operated what would become its final commercial service.

The route was Bangkok to Almaty.

The timing was extraordinary.

COVID-19 was spreading around the world.

International aviation was collapsing.

Borders were closing.

Flights were being cancelled on an unprecedented scale.

Airlines suddenly found themselves grounding enormous parts of their fleets.

P4-EAS was withdrawn from commercial service.

After almost seventeen years with Air Astana – and more than 21 years since its first flight – its passenger-carrying career was over.

One Last Year in Kazakhstan

P4-EAS remained at Almaty.

Although its commercial career had ended, the aircraft still moved occasionally.

Several test flights were performed during 2020.

But there would be no return to normal passenger service.

Then, on 20 December 2020, the Boeing 757 left Kazakhstan.

Its destination was Lleida in Spain.

P4-EAS had spent almost seventeen years connecting Kazakhstan with the world.

Now it was leaving the country for the final time.

N111AS

For two years, the aircraft remained stored at Lleida.

Then came one final registration.

On 23 December 2022, MSN 29488 was registered in the United States as N111AS for AerSale.

But there would be no third airline career.

The aircraft remained at Lleida.

Its engines and other components were eventually removed.

By this stage, the Boeing 757 that had begun life as D-AMUG and spent most of its career as P4-EAS had reached the end.

In 2024, MSN 29488 was dismantled at Lleida-Alguaire Airport.

More than 25 years had passed since its first flight.

From P4-EAS to Aircrafttag

Part of the genuine fuselage skin of Air Astana Boeing 757 P4-EAS was preserved and transformed by Aircrafttag into collectible pieces of aviation history.

The material represents the longest chapter in the aircraft's life.

Air Astana.

Kazakhstan.

P4-EAS.

For almost seventeen years, this Boeing connected Central Asia with destinations across Europe and Asia.

Its fuselage experienced thousands of hours of real airline operations.

Kazakhstan's extreme winters and hot summers.

High-altitude cold.

Pressurization cycles.

Rain.

Sun.

And thousands upon thousands of kilometres between continents.

Original paint, scratches, marks and variations can remain visible on the preserved material.

They belong to the actual aircraft.

Boeing 757-2G5.

MSN 29488.

P4-EAS.

From German Holiday Jet to Kazakhstan's International Network

The complete story of MSN 29488 spans two very different aviation worlds.

It began as D-AMUG.

A red-and-white LTU Boeing carrying German holidaymakers toward their vacations.

Five years later, it became P4-EAS.

And that second identity would define most of its life.

For almost seventeen years, the aircraft helped Air Astana build connections between Kazakhstan and the rest of the world.

It received winglets.

It promoted EXPO 2017.

It flew to cities thousands of kilometres from Almaty.

And on 19 March 2020, it completed its final commercial journey from Bangkok to Kazakhstan.

The complete aircraft no longer exists.

But part of its genuine fuselage skin has been preserved by Aircrafttag.

A physical piece of P4-EAS – and of an important chapter in the development of Air Astana – can continue its journey.