The international airport in Urgench, Uzbekistan, is undergoing a major reconstruction that will significantly increase its capacity and enable it to handle wide-body aircraft, including Boeing 747 and Airbus A350.
On August 17, during a visit to the Khorezm region, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed the airport development projects. According to data presented to the president, the flow of visitors to the Khorezm region has grown significantly in recent years.
Urgench and Khiva are becoming venues for major international summits, high-level diplomatic meetings, as well as economic and cultural forums. Against this backdrop, the need arose to substantially expand the existing transport and airport infrastructure.
The Urgench airport was put into operation in 1960 and received international status in 1992. The complex covers an area of over 285 hectares. Currently, about ten leading airlines operate regular flights here.
The airport's economic indicators are also growing. In 2026, it provided services worth 126 billion soums, which is 31% more than in the same period of 2025.
A total of $264 million will be allocated for the expansion and modernization of the airport. The project is being implemented on the basis of a public-private partnership. The private partner is South Korea's Incheon International Airport Corporation, which manages one of the world's largest and most technologically advanced aviation hubs.
A terminal for serving official delegations has already been built at the airport. At the same time, the first stage of the airfield complex reconstruction is continuing at an accelerated pace.
As part of this stage, a parking area for 18 aircraft and a new taxiway will be built. In addition, the airport will be equipped with modern border and visa control points, a comfortable business lounge, retail outlets and catering points, a 24-hour medical center, and a duty-free zone with world brands.
One of the key results of the reconstruction will be the ability to receive large wide-body aircraft, including Boeing 747 and Airbus A350. This will create conditions for launching direct non-stop long-haul flights to Khorezm from various regions of the world.
After the project is completed, the airport's capacity will increase more than fourfold, from the current 300 to 1,300 passengers per hour.
The president noted that the airport's development should be considered not only in terms of tourism growth. A high level of comfort and safety for foreign delegations arriving in Urgench and Khiva for international events is of direct importance for strengthening Uzbekistan's international authority.
The reconstruction should provide Khorezm with modern aviation infrastructure that meets the growing passenger flow and the new scale of international cooperation in the region.
Earlier it was reported that the old passenger terminal of Andijan international airport would be dismantled after the launch of the new air terminal complex. The existing building no longer meets safety requirements due to the expansion of the runway.
Source: podrobno.uz