About 50 companies have expressed interest in participating in the construction and management of a new international airport in Bukhara under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. This was announced on May 5 by Deputy Minister of Transport Jasurbek Choriyev during a meeting of the Asian Development Bank in Samarkand.
“We announced a tender in Bukhara. About 50 companies have already expressed interest. I cannot name them, but the first stage will be completed around May 11. Then we will move to the second stage. We will shortlist and proceed to the next stage based on that. This is also a large project,” he said.
On March 11, the Ministry of Transport announced the launch of a Request for Qualifications (RfQ) for the project to build and manage the new Bukhara International Airport under a PPP model. The project is being implemented by the Government of Uzbekistan with the participation of Uzbekistan Airports, the Ministry of Transport, and the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
The new airport complex is planned to be built in the “Qumsulton” area of Bukhara district. It will serve domestic and international flights and is expected to become one of the region’s key transport hubs.
As of the end of 2025, the existing Bukhara International Airport served over 574,000 passengers, with international flights accounting for the majority of passenger traffic.
The project includes the construction of a passenger terminal with an area of 48,500 square meters. Its capacity will be 1,200 passengers per hour for international flights and 400 passengers per hour for domestic flights.
Additionally, a catering building, parking lots, cargo areas, and a refueling complex with a capacity of 8,000 cubic meters are planned.
Under the project terms, the airfield infrastructure will remain under state control. The private partner will be responsible for constructing and operating the passenger terminal and related infrastructure.
In April 2022, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was presented with a project to build a new terminal at Bukhara International Airport under a PPP. The private partner was planned to be selected through a tender in the fall of 2023.
In 2024, Mirziyoyev stated the need for a new airport in Bukhara district: “Bukhara airport is too small for plans to double tourist flow. Yesterday, construction of a new modern international airport worth $226 million with three times the capacity of the current one was launched in Bukhara district. It will operate 100 flights per week.” Earlier, in spring 2024, it was reported that the new Bukhara airport was planned to open by the end of 2026.
Recently, it became known that Enter Engineering has become the private partner in the airport construction. Plans to attract new investors to the project have also been reported.
Source: www.gazeta.uz