Ust-Kamenogorsk plans to reconstruct its airport. According to regional media reports in early November, the project covers modernisation of the terminal building, extension of the runway and installation of equipment for operations in low visibility. Such equipment is designed to keep an airport operating in fog and low cloud.
The terminal part is reflected in the Kazakh Ministry of Transport's plan to 2029. The plan includes three new runways (in Astana, Shymkent and Aktobe), reconstruction of four existing runways and terminal projects at seven airports. The runway extension in Ust-Kamenogorsk is not listed there. We covered the plan here: https://www.flycentralasia.com/news/en/kazakhstan-airport-infrastructure-plan-2029-runways-terminals-ministry-of-transport/
Ust-Kamenogorsk airport already went through a reconstruction in 2021; this is a next stage of modernisation.
The project fits into wider work on airports in East Kazakhstan. New airports are being built in Zaisan and Katon-Karagai, and passenger service there is expected in the first half of 2027: https://www.flycentralasia.com/news/en/kazakhstan-resort-airports-nalibayev-timeline-tourist-season/
Runway reconstruction and international routes have also been discussed for Petropavlovsk airport, which served 132,500 passengers in 2025: https://www.flycentralasia.com/news/en/petropavlovsk-airport-nalibayev-meeting-runway-reconstruction-passenger-traffic-2025-kyzylzhar/
Our assessment: for now this is a regional-level plan, and it becomes a manageable project once a budget, a contractor and a timeline appear. A longer runway and low-visibility equipment would make the airport more reliable in winter and could widen the range of aircraft it can handle. For designers, suppliers of airfield and navigation equipment and construction companies, the project is of interest. This is the view of flycentralasia.