This is the largest airport in Kazakhstan and was built in 1935. It accounts for half of the passenger traffic and 68 percent of cargo traffic in the country. The airport’s existing Very Important Person (VIP) but working as CIP terminal is registered as a local monument, therefore it cannot be demolished. As a result, airport authorities have had to consider other options for the expansion.

“There is a need for additional terminal areas, but there is also the issue of land use regulation. Which is, there’s a part of the land that does not belong to the airport, so this is being addressed at the state level,” the airport’s press service stated. “Overall, the first stage of the airport’s expansion of 53,000 square metres will allow it to smoothly function over the next 20 years.”

The airport’s terminal area has a capacity of 1,600 passengers per hour and is 24,000 square metres, which has been deemed insufficient during the airport’s rush hours. The airport’s area where passengers access aircraft boarding after border control and inspection has also been deemed insufficient during flight waiting times. The airport’s airfield capacity is eight to ten flights per hour. To increase this capacity to 20 flights per hour, the airport plans to build two connecting runways and repair its existing runways. New food service facilities will also be built. The existing facilities were built during the Soviet period. The new facilities will increase the capacity to serve 6 million passenger per year.