Of the 37 employees who filed a complaint, 34 are citizens of Kyrgyzstan, two are citizens of Russia, and one is a citizen of Uzbekistan. All of them are officially employed.
The editorial team of Kaktus.media is conducting an investigation into this matter.
Air Transportation and Obligations
According to the company's official website, its main goal is to carry out regular and charter air cargo transportation using the Airbus A-300B4 aircraft.The company has also committed to regularly delivering breeding livestock from Mongolia to Uzbekistan. Out of the planned 60 flights, only 11 have been completed.
Employees report that despite completing their work, they have not received their salaries. Furthermore, invoices from airports in Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), "Navoi" (Uzbekistan), and "Manas" (Kyrgyzstan) remain unpaid, which has already led to the accrual of penalties.
Financial Problems of the Company
According to the employees, in January 2025, Jamal Abdubekov, the founder of LLC "Airline CAP Key G", withdrew nearly $2 million from the company and left Kyrgyzstan.Currently, the company has debts:
- to aviation fuel suppliers;
- for airspace fees;
- for airport services;
- for taxes;
- for employee salaries.
In May 2025, the company's main asset - the Airbus A-300B4 (registration number EX-30008) - was seized, and it was subsequently sold, but the proceeds from the sale did not reach the company's accounts.
Rental Issues
Even before the aircraft was seized, in February 2025, employees found a new partner in Kenya and signed a contract.The Kenyan airline Safe Air offered to lease an aircraft for cargo transportation from the port of Mombasa to the Mediterranean coast, as there was a need for air transportation due to the blockage of shipping in the Red Sea.
The company passed a stringent compliance check with European safety standards EASA part 145.
As employees note, "we successfully completed all necessary procedures that other airlines in Kyrgyzstan still have to undergo."
However, in May 2025, the aircraft was seized due to debts of Abdubekov that were unrelated to the company's activities.
Creditors insisted on transferring the aircraft to the company "Kyrgyz Aero Trade," which represented the interests of the Russian company "Lambda."
According to employees, "Kyrgyz Aero Trade" had financial relations with Abdubekov.
The company promised to settle the airline's debts and pay salaries, but these promises were not fulfilled.
As a result, LLC "CAP Key G" incurred tax liabilities. Now employees are demanding the nationalization of the company and the Airbus A-300B4 without halting its operations.
Employees believe this is necessary for:
- preserving the contract with Uzbekistan;
- creating the first state cargo airline in Kyrgyzstan;
- ensuring tax revenues to the budget;
- protecting the labor rights of employees.
Employees have also concluded a tripartite agreement for the supply of breeding livestock from Mongolia to Uzbekistan, which was previously fulfilled.
The contract involves the Republic of Uzbekistan, LLC "Kyrgyz Aero Trade" (KAT), and LLC "CAP Key G." This agreement was supposed to help resolve the problems of the cargo carrier.
KAT insisted on receiving all funds from the contract, resulting in it appropriating over $500,000.
According to employees, "Uzbekistan transfers money to KAT's account, which promised to cover all the bills of 'CAP Key G,' but in practice, the company delays payments, disrupting the regularity of flights and jeopardizing the health of the animals."
Representatives of the airline emphasize that as a result, Kyrgyzstan has found itself in an extremely negative light on the international stage. This could adversely affect the process of being removed from the EU blacklist.37 employees of "CAP Key G" have sent an appeal to the President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov, outlining their problems.
The appeal states that since February 1, 2025, the company has not fulfilled its obligations to pay salaries.
The administration of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic reported that the statement and documents have been forwarded to the General Prosecutor's Office and the State Committee for National Security (GKNB).
The response noted that the agencies have been instructed to assess the actions of the specified individuals and organizations in accordance with the law, as well as to take measures to preserve the airline's property and ensure the fulfillment of the intergovernmental agreement with Uzbekistan, including the possibility of temporary state control.
It was also noted that it is necessary to uphold the labor rights of employees and the financial stability of the company during the investigation process. The General Prosecutor's Office and GKNB must report on the progress of the implementation. However, according to employees, no changes have occurred in their case.
Employees of the company have reached out to the U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan for assistance, as their leader is in the United States.
They have filed a lawsuit in the First May District Court of Bishkek against "CAP Key G" and its leader Jamal Abdubekov.
Additionally, employees propose an alternative solution to the problem.
“One of Abdubekov's companies has an aircraft engine that can be sold to pay off debts. However, without it, this is impossible. Each of us hoped for our salary,” they note.
Currently, the claim for the recovery of wages for the period from February 1, 2025, to March 1, 2026, minus payments for August 2025, amounts to 109,293,567.08 soms and has been accepted by the court.
