In his Address of 28 October 2026, Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said construction of Astana's new airport will begin next year, in 2027. According to him, the project will be implemented with one of the world's largest companies in this industry. The partner's name was not given.
In the same speech the president said several airports are being built and restored across the country at the same time. The restoration of Arkalyk airport is complete, and the airports of Zaisan, Katon-Karagai and Kenderli will start operating soon.
Government instruction
On 29 October, at a government meeting, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov issued instructions following the Address, which sets the goal of making Kazakhstan a Eurasian transport and logistics hub. They include starting, with the start of the building season, the widening of the Kokshetau–Petropavlovsk highway and construction of a second airport in Astana. The year is not stated in the report. All the projects have been put under the special control of the Ministry of Transport.
What came before
On 20 October, Deputy Minister of Transport Talgat Lastayev said a feasibility study and design-estimate documentation were being prepared for the capital's new airport, with survey work under way, and that mega-projects of this kind usually take at least five years. About a month earlier, the Astana akimat, the Ministry of Transport and the management of Singapore's Changi Airport signed a cooperation memorandum; its text has not been published, and reports describe its status differently. A link between this memorandum and the partner the president spoke of has not been disclosed.
What has not been announced
The partner's name, the budget and funding sources, capacity, the site within Astana, the contractor, and the completion and opening dates. It is not stated whether the wording "new" and "second" airport refers to the same project and whether it is directly linked to the feasibility study Lastayev spoke of.
Our assessment: the decision to build has now been voiced at two levels, by the president and by the head of government, which materially strengthens the project compared with a feasibility study and surveys. But until the partner, budget and schedule are named, this is a milestone for planning, not construction that has begun. "At least five years" in Lastayev's words refers to delivery of the project, not to its start. This is flycentralasia's conclusion, not a statement by the presidential administration or the government.
What businesses can do. Designers, consultants and suppliers of airport systems can follow procurement and the announcement of the partner: timing is now tied to 2027. Investors and development banks can wait for publication of the feasibility study and the financing model. Airlines and operators should plan around the existing Astana airport for the next several years.