Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The airports of Uzbekistan to change dramatically in the coming years, Chairman of the Board of Uzbekistan Airports Rano Juraeva reported this to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on 11 April 2022 as part of the presentation of the Country’s Airports Development Strategy until 2035. First of all, during the implementation of the program for 2022-2026, the key airports of the country - the air harbors of tourist centers - Tashkent, Bukhara, Termez and Urgench, are expected to be reconstructed.

A large-scale reconstruction has begun at the Tashkent airport.

In September last year, the first stage of the reconstruction of Terminal 2 was completed at the international airport of the capital - the right side of the departure hall was repaired, due to which the throughput doubled (up to 1200 passengers / hour). An overpass was put into operation with the introduction of modern equipment for registering incoming cars, and a major overhaul of runway-1 was carried out.

Since March, the second stage of the reconstruction of Terminal 2 of the Tashkent International Airport has begun. It is planned to change the format of customs control and introduce the Tax Free system, increase the number of check-in counters and expand the area of the "sterile" and "non-sterile" zones by combining the departure and arrival buildings into a single complex, tidy up the station squares and automate parking, simplify the booking procedure and payment for enhanced comfort lounges and additional services for passengers (CIP and VIP lounges, Anor Business Lounge and Fast Track service). Thanks to the reconstruction, the capacity of the Tashkent airport will increase to 2,400 passengers per hour.

The head of Uzbekistan Airports, Rano Juraeva, stressed that it is important to develop the airports of the country’s pearl tourist cities - Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. In March, after a large-scale reconstruction, the Samarkand airport was opened: a new terminal and a new airfield complex were built. The airport is able to serve up to 800 people per hour and up to 120 flights per week.

Also, in the next two years, new airports will be built in Bukhara and Urgench. Air harbor projects were presented to the President. According to preliminary data, about US$136 million will be invested in the construction of the Bukhara airport with a capacity of 1,000 passengers per hour. The construction of the new Urgench airport with a capacity of 1,200 passengers per hour is estimated at US$177 million. Both projects are planned to be implemented in 2022-2024 on the basis of PPP. Currently, tender documentation for the selection of private partners is being developed.

Uzbekistan Airports - a company that manages 11 international airports of Uzbekistan, was established on 15 August 2019 on the basis of NAC "Uzbekistan Airways" by decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. JSC "Uzbekistan Airports" includes LLC.

Uzbekistan Airports Handling is a subsidiary handling company operating from 1 November 2021 at the Tashkent airport under the UzPort brand, and the Silk Avia regional airline being created.