Around 50 Firms Eye Bukhara Airport PPP Project

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Around 50 companies have expressed interest in participating in the construction and management of a new Bukhara International Airport under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, according to Deputy Minister of Transport Jasurbek Choriyev, speaking on May 5 at the sidelines of the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank in Samarkand, as reported by Gazeta.uz.

Choriyev said the first stage of the tender process is expected to be completed by May 11. After that, selected companies will proceed to the second stage of the competition. He noted that the project is large-scale, but the companies that have expressed interest are not being disclosed at this stage.

The Ministry of Transport previously announced the launch of a qualification request procedure for the project, which is being implemented by the government of Uzbekistan in cooperation with Uzbekistan Airports, the Ministry of Transport, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

The new airport complex is planned to be built on the Kumsolton area in Bukhara district. It will serve both domestic and international flights and is considered one of the key transport hubs in the region.

The project includes construction of a passenger terminal with a total area of 48,500 square meters. The terminal will have a capacity of 1,200 passengers per hour for international flights and 400 passengers per hour for domestic routes.

Additional infrastructure will include catering facilities, parking areas, cargo zones, and a fuel storage facility with a capacity of 8,000 cubic meters.

Under the project structure, the airfield infrastructure will remain under state ownership, while the private partner will be responsible for construction and operation of the terminal and related facilities.

By the end of 2025, the existing Bukhara International Airport served more than 574,000 passengers, with international traffic accounting for the majority.

The idea of building a new terminal under a PPP framework has been under discussion since 2022. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has previously highlighted the limitations of the current airport and the need to significantly increase its capacity.

The new facility is expected to roughly triple current handling capacity.

The launch of the new airport was initially planned for the end of 2026, but the project was revised due to financial difficulties faced by a previous private partner. Authorities are now considering new investors to continue the project.

Choriyev also stated that the current Tashkent International Airport may be closed after the new airport becomes operational, as its capacity is expected to be fully utilized by 2029. He added that the final decision on the future use of the existing airport site has not yet been made.