ASTANA, Kazakhstan, January 22. A project is underway in Kazakhstan, working hand in hand with the Kazakh-German company "SKYHANSA" in the special economic zone "Khorgos-Eastern Gate" (on the border with China) to construct a passenger terminal that can accommodate up to 500 passengers each hour, Trend reports via the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan.
According to the Ministry, the fuel storage capacity of this terminal will be up to 550,000 tons per year, the cargo terminal will handle up to 250,000 tons of cargo annually, an aviation technical center will be created for aircraft maintenance, and more than 300 permanent jobs will be established.
By order of President Tokayev, three new airports are being built in Kazakhstan in 2025 in resort areas: Zaysan, Katon-Karagai, and Kendirli, to promote domestic tourism and passenger air transportation. The implementation of these projects will give a boost to the economy of these regions and contribute to the influx of both domestic and foreign tourists. These projects will also create additional jobs for the local population.
Meanwhile, three new passenger terminals at major hub airports went into operation in 2024 as part of the modernization of air transport infrastructure. The cities of Almaty, Shymkent, and Kyzylorda have significantly increased the passenger capacity of their terminals.
The ministry also reported that the new terminal at Almaty International Airport has increased its capacity from 2.5 million to 14 million passengers per year. Domestic airlines Air Astana, SCAT, Qazaq Air, and Fly Arystan operate regular flights to 19 cities in Kazakhstan. International flights are conducted to 26 countries worldwide on 50 routes by 30 foreign airlines.
The new terminal at Shymkent Airport has a capacity increase from 800,000 to 6 million passengers per year. The number of international flights has increased to 10, with 24 weekly flights. New routes have been opened to Jeddah, Medina (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), Doha (Qatar), Phu Quoc (Vietnam), and Phuket (Thailand).
Korkyt Ata International Airport in Kyzylorda has increased its capacity from 300,000 to 2 million passengers per year. Currently, 25 domestic flights are operated from Kyzylorda.
"The fleet of domestic airlines is replenished with 10–15 aircraft annually. In 2025, the number of aircraft will reach 102," the Ministry added.
To note, Kazakhstan’s compliance with international flight safety standards is 82 percent, the highest among CIS countries and comparable to EU countries such as Denmark and Poland.