Kazakhstan begins construction of new airports in three resort areas

Kazakhstan has started the construction of three new airports in its resort areas, as announced by the press service of the country's Transport Ministry.

"By order of the head of state, to promote domestic tourism and passenger air travel, three new airports are being built in the resort areas of Zaysan, Katon-Karagay, and Kendirli in 2025. The implementation of these projects will give a boost to the economies of these regions and contribute to an influx of both domestic and international tourists," the statement reads, Caliber.Az informs.

According to the ministry, in 2024, as part of the modernization of air transport infrastructure, three new passenger terminals were opened at international airports in the cities of Almaty, Shymkent, and Kyzylorda.

The capacity of the new terminal at Almaty International Airport has been increased from 2.5 million to 14 million passengers annually; Shymkent Airport’s capacity has risen from 800,000 to 6 million passengers per year; and the "Korkyt Ata" airport in Kyzylorda has expanded from 300,000 to 2 million passengers annually.

Additionally, a project is underway in the special economic zone Khorgos – Eastern Gates by the Kazakhstan-German company SKYHANSA, which includes the construction of a passenger terminal with a capacity of up to 500 people per hour, a fuel storage facility with a capacity of up to 550,000 tons per year, a cargo terminal handling up to 250,000 tons of cargo per year, an aviation technical centre for aircraft servicing, and the development of tourism and commercial services for the public.

The fleet of domestic airlines is replenished annually with 10-15 aircraft. As of early 2025, the number of aircraft stands at 102.

By Khagan Isayev