BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 29
By Ilkin Seyfaddini – Trend:
Uzbek authorities are planning to relocate Tashkent International Airport by 25 kilometers to move it further away from the center of the capital city, Trend reports citing Uzbek media.
This is reflected in the draft concept of the capital master plan, which was presented for public discussion on April 28.
It is planned to move the airport nine kilometers southward from the capital borders, and it could be a territory near Nurafshon city, the report says.
This step is expected to improve the environmental situation in the capital and ensure better safety. As for the current territory of the airport, which is located 5-6 km from the city center, it is planned to preserve it for partial use in the future.
The need to move the airport out of the city is also caused by the growth of the passenger traffic at airport, Director of Uzbekistan Airports company Ravshan Ismailov.
"It is expected that with the launch of the new airport on the site of the Tashkent-East airfield, its total capacity will exceed 10 million passengers per year. This will be enough for the next few years, but afterwards, it is planned to build a new modern airport with an annual capacity of 50 million passengers," he added.
Tashkent International Airport has been operating since 1932. The building and size of the airport has changed many times. It is one of the few international airports located within the city limits.
Earlier, Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan Elyor Ganiev said that it is planned to build a new passenger terminal and a runway at Samarkand International Airport, which will increase the capacity of the airport from 500 passengers to 1,500 per hour.
---
Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini