Plans are underway to create an international cargo and passenger airport in the Zhetysu region — the project is being implemented on the instructions of the President of Kazakhstan with the support of German investors.
As reported following a meeting between Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov and member of the board of directors and co-founder of Skyhansa, Dr. Kristin Grützbach, construction will begin near the International Centre for Cross-Border Cooperation "Khorgos".
The new airport is expected to be located within the special economic zone (SEZ) "Khorgos – Eastern Gate".
The project will be implemented in phases: the first phase is scheduled until 2027 and includes the construction of a passenger terminal with a capacity of up to 50 people per hour (up to 500 people per hour by 2032), a modern fuel storage facility with a capacity of up to 200,000 tonnes of JET A-1 per year (up to 550,000 tonnes by 2032), and a cargo terminal with a car park and railway siding with a capacity of 50,000 tonnes per year (up to 250,000 tonnes by 2032). The second and third phases (until 2032) will focus on developing tourism and business infrastructure. The total investment volume will be around 250 billion tenge.
Special attention in the project has been given to multimodal logistics: the integration of air, rail and road transport into a single system (Air–Rail–Auto–Air) is planned. This is expected to create new points of economic growth and strengthen Kazakhstan's role in the trade routes of the Asia-Pacific region.
Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov emphasised the strategic importance of the project:
"President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has identified the transport and logistics sector as a priority. The new airport in the Zhetysu region will give a significant boost to infrastructure development and strengthen Kazakhstan's transit role between China, Central Asia and Europe."
Skyhansa co-founder Dr. Kristin Grützbach stated that the project is aimed not only at developing aviation but also at creating a modern logistics and business centre.
"We are creating not just an airport, but a multifunctional hub with international infrastructure — terminals, a refuelling complex, an MRO centre, a business centre and hotels. The unique location on the border with China makes this hub a key point on the New Silk Road," she said.
At the end of the meeting, an Investment Agreement was signed between the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the company Skyhansa. The investor undertakes to use mainly Kazakhstani materials and services, and the share of local personnel in the project's implementation must be at least 90%. The state, for its part, undertakes to provide engineering and transport infrastructure, as well as to grant benefits under the SEZ regime.
For reference: the project is being implemented with the participation of the joint Kazakh-German company Skyhansa. On the German side, the partner is The Hansa Consortium, specialising in the development of aviation infrastructure, and on the Kazakh side, the group of companies Skymax Technologies, providing engineering solutions for airports in the region.