Kazakhstan’s Balkhash airport reopens following major upgrade

Image: Administration of Karaganda Region

Balkhash Airport in central Kazakhstan has resumed scheduled operations after a two-and-a-half-year reconstruction program, welcoming its first flights from Astana and Almaty in early June.

The upgrade of the airport, which serves the Lake Balkhash resort area—one of Kazakhstan’s key domestic tourism destinations—forms part of a broader government strategy to strengthen regional air connectivity and support domestic travel.

Scheduled services have already resumed with two Kazakh carriers. Vietjet Qazaqstan (Qazaq Air) operates daily flights from Astana, while SCAT Airlines serves the route from Almaty six times weekly. Both routes receive state subsidies.

Speaking at a government meeting on 9 June, Kazakhstan’s transport minister Nurlan Sauranbayev said subsidized services to the country’s main tourist destinations, including Balkhash, Alakol, Turkistan, Burabay and the Caspian Sea coast, total 45 flights per week during the summer season. He described domestic air transport as a key tool for improving connectivity between the country’s regions.

According to authorities in the Karaganda region, around 90% of the project’s funding came from the national budget, including money recovered through state asset restitution programs. In November 2025, the government allocated an additional KZT945 million ($1.8 million) from a special state fund to complete the airport modernization program.

The project included reconstruction of the airport’s taxiway and apron at a cost of KZT3.8 billion, refurbishment of the passenger terminal and construction of new operational support facilities.

While the terminal building, originally opened in 1967, retained its historic architectural appearance, its interior was completely modernized. The redevelopment increased terminal capacity to 80 passengers per hour. The airport had not undergone a major overhaul since 2007.

Regional authorities expect annual passenger traffic to more than triple from 13,000 to 40,000 passengers as improved air access boosts tourism to Lake Balkhash, one of Kazakhstan’s fastest-growing leisure destinations.

The reopening of Balkhash Airport reflects Kazakhstan’s long-term effort to revitalise its regional airport network. Alongside Balkhash, the government has invested in upgrading airports at Usharal, Urzhar and Arkalyk as part of a wider program aimed at improving regional accessibility and supporting economic and tourism development.