ASTANA, Oct. 18 ??“ Kazakhstan Prime Minister Danial Akhmetov has criticized the Kazakh airline, Skat, for purchasing seven Ukrainian An-148 planes.

"Given that we have taken a decision to switch to using to modern types of planes, we should encourage the airlines to purchase [planes] of modern brands. Who needs this An-148?" he said at a meeting of the government in Astana on Wednesday.