BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 18
By Ilkin Seyfaddini – Trend:
Uzbekistan plans to renovate Samarkand International Airport by the end of 2020, Trend reports via Uzbek media.
Reconstruction of Samarkand International Airport will increase the number of flights serviced sevenfold - from 40 per week to 40 per day. Reconstruction of the airport is planned to be completed by the end of this year, the report says.
Within the reconstruction it is planned to build a new runway, taxiways and places for aircraft parking. The airport will be able to accept all types of aircraft without restrictions. Reconstruction will lead to creation of new jobs - the number of employees will increase from 630 to almost 1000 people.
In addition, a new four-storey air terminal complex will be built (two floors in the current one) with a Duty Free shop, VIP and CIP halls with increased comfort for passengers. Passenger capacity will increase from 400 to 600 passengers per hour.
Samarkand International Airport has been functioning since 1980s. In 2004, the airport was recognized as the best in the CIS in the category "Volume of Carriage up to 100,000 passengers".
In May 2019, was reported that the reconstruction of three Uzbek airports will be undertaken by the Russian "Novaport" company. The first to get under the modernization of the airport of Samarkand, where in 2022 the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will be held. Specialists from VTB Capital Bank estimated possible investments in the project at $300-500 million.
However, at the end of 2019 the parties refused to cooperate. Negotiations between the Uzbek authorities and the management of Novaport have reached an impasse, as the government is not ready to give the airports to concession for 30 years.