First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Nurlybek Nalibayev chaired a meeting on the development of Petropavlovsk airport. The government press service reported this on 29 October 2026. The meeting was attended by vice-ministers of transport and energy, the akim of North Kazakhstan Region and the head of Kyzyl-Zhar International Airport LLP.
Passenger traffic
According to the government, Petropavlovsk airport served 132,500 passengers in 2025. This is 6.5 times the 2021 figure. By our calculation, the 2021 base was about 20,000 passengers.
What has been done
In recent years the fuel refuelling complex has been restored and restrictions on night flights have been lifted.
What is planned
Development priorities named include reconstruction of the runway, development of international routes, stable aviation fuel supply and multimodal logistics infrastructure. Support for low-traffic regional airports was also discussed: stable operation, infrastructure modernisation, route network expansion and regional transport access. State bodies and organisations were instructed to implement planned projects on time and make effective use of the country's transit potential.
What has not been announced
The date of the meeting, the timeline, cost and funding sources of runway reconstruction, specific destinations and carriers have not been named. 2025 flight and cargo figures and target passenger numbers are not disclosed. It is not said whether the airport will close during the works.
Our assessment: the 6.5-fold growth is measured from a low base (by our calculation about 20,000 passengers in 2021), so it points to recovery of the airport rather than mass demand. The decision on runway reconstruction is not yet backed by dates or a budget. This is flycentralasia's conclusion, not a statement by the Government of Kazakhstan.
What businesses can do. Airlines considering Petropavlovsk should ask Kyzyl-Zhar airport for demand data and reconstruction plans before planning schedules. Fuel suppliers, ground handlers and logistics companies in North Kazakhstan Region should watch for publication of timelines and funding.