Shavkat Mirziyoyev Launches Construction of New International Airport in Tashkent Region

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed the project for a new international airport in Tashkent region and participated in the ceremony marking the start of construction of this large-scale transport complex.

The growth and transformation of Tashkent into a modern metropolis have attracted increasing numbers of tourists, entrepreneurs, investors, and government officials from around the world.

Since Uzbekistan opened up to the global community, the number of foreign tourists has risen from three to ten million, with projections estimating 15 million by 2030. The restoration of friendly relations and open borders has created favorable conditions for free movement throughout the region.

The new airport, initiated by the President, will become one of the country’s key transport hubs thanks to its strategic location, investment attractiveness, and modern passenger facilities.

Simultaneously, seven existing international airports are being modernized to meet contemporary standards, and new airports are under construction in Muynak, Kokand, Zaamin, Shakhrisabz, Saryasia, and Sokh, bringing the total number of airports in the country to eighteen.

The competitive environment has led to the emergence of 15 new airlines, and the national aircraft fleet has grown from 26 to 105 planes. Currently, 51 airlines from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, South Korea, China, India, Malaysia, Türkiye, Russia, Poland, and other countries operate regular flights to Uzbekistan.

The President emphasized that the development of transport infrastructure and modernization of air connectivity remain priority areas. Within the next five years, the aviation fleet is expected to reach 180 aircraft, the number of routes will expand to 230, and the total volume of domestic and international flights will reach 200,000 per year.

To achieve these goals, projects for the development of airport infrastructure under public-private partnerships will continue. According to Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the ultimate aim is to transform Uzbekistan into a major aviation hub connecting East and West, North and South.

The construction of the new airport is driven by rising passenger traffic: over the past eight years, it has tripled to nine million passengers annually, with forecasts projecting more than 24 million by 2040.

The existing airport, designed for 11 million passengers, is located within the city and cannot be expanded. Therefore, a decision was made to build a new international airport on a 1,300-hectare site spanning the Urtachirchik and Kuyichirchik districts.

The project is being implemented by an international consortium including Vision Invest (Saudi Arabia), Sojitz (Japan), and Incheon (South Korea) and consists of four phases. The first phase, costing $2.5 billion, will include the construction of the terminal complex and airfield.

Upon completion, the airport will be able to serve up to 20 million passengers and 129,000 tons of cargo annually, handle up to 30 take-offs and landings per hour, operate 14 telescopic gangways, and accommodate 62 aircraft simultaneously.

The new airport will meet ICAO international standards for service quality, flight safety, and technical regulation. Modern air navigation and meteorological systems will allow aircraft to operate under any weather conditions.

Special attention is being paid to environmental standards: the complex will be the first airport in the region built according to “green” construction principles, with a terminal including a 46,000-square-meter duty-free area.

The airport will be part of a multimodal transport hub connected to the Tashkent–Samarkand, Tashkent–Andijan, and Tashkent–Bostanlyk highways. A modern high-speed rail station will be constructed, and shuttle transport will link Tashkent city and New Tashkent.

The new complex will serve not only as a transport hub but also as an economic center, attracting over $27 billion in investments, boosting services, industry, and tourism, and creating thousands of new jobs.

President Mirziyoyev thanked foreign partners, representatives of financial institutions, and tourism companies for their participation in the project, expressed confidence in the engineers and construction teams, and personally placed a time capsule in the foundation, officially launching the construction of the new Tashkent International Airport.