The first of five new E190-E2s joined Air Astana’s fleet at a delivery event at the airline’s base in Astana today. The airplanes are leased from AerCap. The E2 will start revenue service later this month. The other four E190-E2s will be delivered through the end of 2019.

Inspired by the striking images of animals painted on the front of E2s used in our Profit Hunter marketing campaign and world demo tour, Air Astana asked us to paint an image of a snow leopard on its first E190-E2. The airline hopes to draw attention to the future of the big cat, which is native to the country’s southern mountain regions. The snow leopard faces the threat of extinction.

Peter Foster, Air Astana President, said that the snow leopard “embodies the resilience and ambition of our nation.”

The delivery marks the beginning of Air Astana’s fleet renewal. The airline received its first E-Jet in 2011 and operates 9 first-generation E190s.