In January-July 2026, Kazakhstan's airports handled 102.5 thousand tons of cargo, 10% more than a year earlier. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media. More than 64% of this volume was accounted for by Almaty International Airport, which received 66.1 thousand tons, according to the official information resource of the Prime Minister.

Horizon program at Almaty airport

In Almaty, the first stage of the Horizon program for 2025-2028 is being implemented. It provides for the expansion of the export zone by 5 thousand square meters, the construction of a cargo apron for seven stands for large long-haul aircraft of class F, including Boeing 747-8 and Airbus A380, as well as the creation of a logistics cluster with an area of 500 hectares.

Cargo infrastructure in the regions

Cargo infrastructure is also being developed in other regions. In Aktobe, a logistics complex is being created with the development of fuel and refueling infrastructure, in Karaganda, the capacity for receiving cargo aircraft is being expanded, and in Aktau, the integration of aviation, sea and railway routes is being worked out.

Since June 2026, Cargolux has resumed flights through Astana and plans to perform up to 14 flights per week. So far, aircraft are making technical stops for refueling and maintenance, while the transition to full commercial cargo operations is being worked out in parallel.

In August, Cathay Pacific Cargo also launched regular cargo flights to Astana. The carrier plans to operate up to five flights per week on Boeing 747 Freighter aircraft.

New terminals and airports

Over the past three years, new terminals have been introduced at the airports of Almaty, Kyzylorda and Shymkent. Their total capacity has increased 6.5 times - from 3.5 million to 23 million passengers per year.

By the end of 2026, it is planned to introduce new airports in the resort areas of Katon-Karagai, Zaisan and Kenderli.

In Balkhash, the reconstruction of the terminal, taxiway and apron has already been completed. In Pavlodar, the runway was expanded from 45 to 60 meters, which made it possible to remove restrictions on takeoff weight for heavy long-haul aircraft.

Pavlodar airport has already resumed operations. A subsidized flight on the route Astana - Pavlodar - Astana has been launched four times a week at a tariff of 15 thousand tenge. From September 1, it is planned to return daily commercial flights to Almaty and international flights to Novosibirsk seven times a week.

In August, the restoration of the Arkalyk airport was also completed. The first flight Astana - Arkalyk - Astana was performed on August 22.

In Shymkent, the construction of the second runway continues, which is scheduled to be completed in 2027. In Urzhar, the passenger terminal is being reconstructed, and it is planned to be put into operation in February 2027.

Passenger traffic indicators

According to the results of 2025, Kazakh airlines carried 15.4 million passengers - 4.8% more than a year earlier. The passenger traffic of airports reached 31.8 million people.

In the first half of 2026, airlines carried 7.4 million passengers, which is 2.6% more than in the same period last year.

Under the "open skies" regime, Kazakhstan's international route network has been expanded to 135 destinations in 30 countries.

In 2026, flights to Warsaw, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Larnaca, Ulaanbaatar, Izmir, Xi'an, Urumqi, Bishkek, Novosibirsk, St. Petersburg, Tyumen and Batumi have already been opened. By the end of the year, flights to Tokyo and Kashgar are being worked out.

Separately, the VietJet Air route Hanoi - Almaty - Prague is being prepared using the fifth degree of "freedom of the air".

Aircraft fleet and personnel

Currently, the fleet of regular civil aviation of Kazakhstan has 111 aircraft. By the end of 2026, six more aircraft are expected to be delivered: four for Air Astana and two for Vietjet Qazaqstan.

By 2030, the commercial fleet is planned to be increased to 160 aircraft. The fleet should include Airbus A320/A321neo, Boeing 737 MAX and long-haul Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Today, about 25 thousand people are employed in the aviation industry of Kazakhstan. The number of state grants at the Academy of Civil Aviation has increased from 180 in the 2022-2023 academic year to 618 in the 2025-2026 academic year.

Over four years, the number of students has increased by more than 72%, and the employment rate of graduates reaches 90%. Another 220 students are undergoing dual training on the basis of 48 partner enterprises.

Safety standards

According to the government, Kazakhstan's level of compliance with ICAO standards in the field of aviation security is 95.7%, and the effective implementation of flight safety standards is 82%.

For comparison, the average indicators for the European region are 88% and 74%, respectively.

In 2026, Kazakhstan also created a specialized Center for the Investigation of Transport Accidents and Incidents, which was given the functions of investigating aviation events.

Over the past three years, the number of transit flights through the country's airspace has increased fourfold. To update radio equipment and navigation systems, KazAeronavigatsia is implementing a five-year contract with LEIDOS Corporation.

Aviation fuel production

In 2026, domestic refineries should produce 825 thousand tons of aviation fuel. By 2032, its production is planned to be more than doubled - to 1.7-1.8 million tons per year.

Since the beginning of the year, KMG-Aero has supplied more than 50 thousand tons of aviation fuel to foreign airlines.

Among the carriers that refuel in Kazakhstan are Turkish Airlines, Cargolux, China Southern Airlines, HongKong Air Cargo, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Flydubai, Pegasus and others.

The government notes that existing refineries fully cover the needs of the domestic market, and imported aviation fuel can be used to service transit and international routes.