President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov laid a capsule at the construction site of a new airport complex of Osh International Airport, marking the beginning of a project to develop the aviation infrastructure in the south of the country. The press service of the head of state reported.
The new two-story terminal with a basement with a total area of 25,443 square meters will be able to serve more than 5 million passengers per year. The project includes everything necessary for the comfort of travelers: a spacious waiting room, modern check-in areas, a food court, recreation areas and an automated parking lot for 650 cars.
A comprehensive modernization of the airport is planned:
- Apron expansion. The number of parking spaces for aircraft will be increased by 25 units.
- Runway extension. Design and estimate documentation will be ready in 2025, and extension work is planned for 2026.
- Modernization of the lighting system. After the reconstruction of the runway, the high-intensity lighting system will be upgraded to category 3, which will allow aircraft to land in almost any weather conditions.
- By 2027, the reconstruction of the runways of the Bishkek and Osh airports will be completed.
In his speech, Sadyr Japarov noted that Airports of Kyrgyzstan JSC has embarked on a path of sustainable development. «The infrastructure of airports in the regions is being updated, the route network is expanding. We are witnessing the revival of the republic’s aviation industry,» he emphasized.
The President recalled the recent commissioning of Karakol and Talas airports, the major repairs of the runways at Jalal-Abad, Karavan, Kazarman and Batken airports, as well as the ongoing work at the Issyk-Kul and Naryn airports. The country’s fleet has been replenished with two Bombardier Dash 8-400 aircraft, and two more new aircraft are expected to arrive this year.
He noted that the Osh airport, built in 1974, can no longer cope with the growing passenger flow, which increased by 47 percent from 2021 to 2024 (from 3.9 million to 5.8 million people). The new terminal will allow to service up to 900 passengers per hour.
Sadyr Japarov noted that the Osh airport is a key transport hub in Fergana region and provides connections between the countries of Central Asia, the CIS and the Middle East.
The design of the new terminal was developed by the Department of Urban Development and Architecture of the Ministry of Construction, Architecture, Housing and Public Utilities. The general contractor is the state enterprise Kyrgyzkurulush. The project is financed from the own funds of Airports of Kyrgyzstan OJSC.
«The construction of a new airport complex is only the beginning of our large-scale plans. We intend to turn the Osh International Airport into an important economic center that contributes to the development of tourism and business,» the head of state concluded.
