Construction of the new international terminal of Almaty Airport is now 87% complete and is scheduled to begin operations in June of this year, the President of the Istanbul-based TAV Airports Holding, Serkan Kaptan stated during a meeting with the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Alikhan Smailov. The area of the new terminal – initially scheduled to open in August 2024 – will be twice as large as the current building, and will cover 55,000 square meters.
Smailov emphasized that the construction of the new international terminal in Almaty is of strategic importance. “We expect that its opening will significantly increase passenger traffic, expand the geography of flights, and provide residents and guests of the metropolis with quality services and a high level of comfort,” the Prime Minister stated, as reported by his press service on January 18th.
The existing terminal will only be used for domestic flights in the future. At the same time, the potential of both terminals will reach 14 million passengers per year, whilst the volume of cargo traffic passing through Almaty Airport planned to reach 100,000 tons.
The Prime Minister added that Almaty Airport should be developed as a fully-fledged multi-modal transport and logistics hub with the inclusion of rail and road transportation, and the investor should take this into account in future plans.
TAV Airports is now the beneficial owner of 85% of Almaty Airport and its associated fuel and catering businesses, with Kazakhstan Infrastructure Fund, managed by VPE Capital and backed by Kazyna Capital Management holding the remaining 15% stake.
Kazakhstan’s main aviation gateway and the flagship carrier Air Astana’s base, Almaty Airport is an important junction on the modern Silk Road. TAV has said it is investing around US $200 million to increase the airport’s capacity to 14 million passengers.
