ASTANA – A new terminal at Shymkent airport plans to open 14 domestic and 16 international routes, including to European countries, China, South Korea, Southeast Asia, the United Arab Emirates, Belarus, and many other popular destinations, said Kazakhstan’s SCAT Airlines Spokesperson Victoria Starozhilova, Kazinform reported on Jan. 22.
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This terminal was opened last December with a reception of its first flight from Astana to Shymkent. It currently serves regular domestic flights but will soon open its international and transit sectors once border control and customs equipment are installed.
The number of destinations operated from the region is expected to increase to 45, including India, Vietnam, Russia, Italy, Spain, Germany, Greece, and Egypt.
Meanwhile, Shymkent’s old terminal continues to service nearly 15 flights daily, including six domestic and nine international routes. As the new terminal’s international zone becomes operational, the old terminal will reduce its load.
Shymkent airport plans to build a second runway to help avoid delays and cancellations of flights due to weather conditions, as stated by Rolan Ibragimov, the head of the city’s passenger transport and highways department.
“Planes will be able to land even in zero visibility conditions,” he said. “To improve international cargo transportation, we will increase the area of the existing trade and logistics center.”
