Kazakhstan sets end-2026 deadline for three regional airports

Nurlybek Nalibayev, first deputy prime minister, told the 4 November government press conference that construction at Zaisan, Katon-Karagay and Kenderli would finish by the end of 2026. The Astana Times reported his name as Nurlan Nalybayev.

The three sites are remote: Zaisan sits in the east near the Chinese border, Katon-Karagay in the Altai mountains, and Kenderli on the Caspian coast. The government frames the projects as part of a wider effort to expand aviation infrastructure and transit potential, but has not said what the airports will cost, how much capacity they will have, or which carriers will serve them.

Construction of the three is underway on the president's instructions, Trend News Agency reported, citing the government.

The political backdrop

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev named the same three sites in his State of the Nation Address on 28 October, saying they would become operational in the near future.

His argument was blunt. Key air corridors between Europe and Asia pass through Kazakh territory, he said, yet the advantage "exists largely on the pages of glossy presentations". The address set out about 6.5 trillion tenge from the National Fund for public services, housing and economic development by the end of 2029. Tokayev also said construction of a new airport in Astana would begin in 2027 in partnership with a leading international company, without naming the partner or giving the airport's planned capacity, cost or opening date.

The airport programme is one strand of a wider building push. Tokayev proposed declaring 2027 the Year of Nationwide Large-Scale Construction, listing transport and utilities alongside healthcare, education and cultural facilities.

Work on the existing network

The new builds sit alongside work at airports that already operate. Construction and modernization are underway at Almaty and Urdzhar, and a second runway is under construction in Shymkent. Pavlodar's runway underwent reconstruction in August and Arkalyk Airport underwent restoration, according to the government's account of the same briefing.

Kazakhstan is upgrading its air navigation system with international equipment and standards, according to the same briefing.

Beyond the runways, the government has designated key transport hubs and introduced free economic zone regimes at them. The government is modernizing fuel supply facilities and cargo terminals and connecting them to rail and road links for multimodal freight.

Routes and cargo

Route expansion runs on a separate calendar. The first Almaty to Tokyo flight will take off on 30 November 2026.

Kazakhstan plans new services to Vienna, New York, Milan and other cities for 2027, the government said at the same briefing. Freight is the other half of the plan. The government is developing a national cargo airline, Air Cargo, expected to operate 10 aircraft. The first aircraft arrives in November 2026 and the second in March 2027. The government is folding information systems into the E-Kolik platform, which should allow paperless documentation and faster processing of transport documents.

The Tokyo flight will leave from Almaty, not from any of the three new sites, so route announcements and airport openings are separate promises.

What happens next

The government has given no date for the first scheduled flight into any of the three new airports. Whether airlines follow the runways is the open question.