Kazakhstan’s civil aviation set for major modernization
Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held a meeting on developing air hubs and the road sector, in line with Presidential directives, Qazinform News Agency cites primeminister.kz.
The meeting brought together the ministers of transport, finance, energy, industry, and construction, as well as the akims (mayors) of Astana and Almaty.
Strategic planning
The Prime Minister was presented with a Civil Aviation Development Plan for the next three years amid global forecasts predicting a doubling of the aviation market by 2040. Emphasis is placed on ensuring a high level of compliance with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). This year, Kazakhstan attained 95.7% in the ICAO audit. This is significantly higher than the global average of 72.01% and the European average of 87.92%.
The plan outlines extensive modernization of the airport and navigation infrastructure, expanding the international and domestic route network. It is also planned to increase the fleet of aircraft and strengthen the specialist training system for the aviation sector, with support from international training centers.
Developing key air hubs and connectivity
During the meeting, the participants also considered issues of developing air hubs based on the airports of Astana and Almaty. Preparations are underway for the development of design and estimate documentation for the construction of the second runway at the capital’s airport. The modernization project comprises the construction of cargo and passenger terminals, the renewal of infrastructure, and more. The strategic Horizon program for modernizing Almaty Airport will ensure an increased capacity. The reconstruction of the terminals and the modernization of the runways are planned to significantly boost traffic. Cargo and technical clusters and a service ecosystem will be created at the airport.
The meeting attendees reviewed issues of subsidizing domestic air routes to strengthen regional connectivity. Overall, the passenger traffic for the 10 months of 2025 increased by 6% and exceeded 13 million passengers. The participants noted the multiplier effect of civil aviation on tourism, trade, regional development, investment attractiveness, and other important areas. According to international assessments, every 100 jobs in the industry create up to 610 additional jobs in related sectors of the economy. Officials also outlined prospects for developing cargo transport to expand Kazakhstan's freight capacity.
Fuel supply oversight
Prime Minister Bektenov directed the Ministry of Transport, together with the Agency for Competition Protection and Development, and the Financial Monitoring Agency, to intensify efforts against non-productive intermediaries in jet fuel supply chains and accelerate the implementation of current projects and the launch of new ones in the transport sector.
Road infrastructure
In addition, the meeting discussed the Transport Ministry's approaches to infrastructure projects in road construction. The focus was on the current state of roads and the mechanisms available for further enhancing the quality of road surfaces.
As Qazinform previously reported, Kazakhstan achieved 95.7% compliance with ICAO aviation security standards.
It was also announced that Astana Airport saw a 13% rise in passenger traffic in 10 months.
