Samarkand’s new state-of-the-art terminal opens for business

Air Marakanda, operator of the newly-expanded and redeveloped Samarkand International Airport, officially opened the airport’s new state-of-the-art terminal today.

Passengers onboard flight HY-045/046 from Tashkent were the first to use the new terminal.

The public-private partnership responsible for the $80 million project comprises Air Marakanda and state partner Uzbekistan Airports JCS.

The construction work was carried out by leading Uzbekistan EPC company Enter Engineering based on an architectural design by the Turkish design and engineering company Kiklop Construction.

Speaking at the opening ceremony earlier today, Hilmi Yilmaz, Air Marakanda’s deputy general director of operations, said: “On behalf of the entire staff of Air Marakanda, I thank our government and all partners, without whom the implementation of such a large-scale project would have been impossible.

“I am certain Samarkand International Airport, as one of the region’s most important infrastructure facilities, will stimulate economic growth and business development in the adjacent areas, creating jobs for the local population and benefit society as a whole.

“An airport is the first thing you see when you arrive in a country and the last thing you see when you leave. Samarkand International Airport will become a ‘visiting card’ of Uzbekistan.”

Serving visitors to Uzbekistan’s most frequented tourist sites in, and around, historic Silk Road city Samarkand, the modern facility will be able to handle triple the number of passengers than it could previously.

Independent research by market research firm, Lufthansa Consulting, forecasts an increase in annual passenger traffic from 480,000 to two million.

Upon completion, the number of regular flights will increase from 40 to 120 per week, with a total of 24 new aircraft parking spaces available.

Having served only five destinations in 2019, Air Marakanda’s route development plan aims to increase destinations to 30 by 2030.

The new terminal is equipped with  29 check-in desks, eight boarding gates, four escalators, ten passport control booths, six e-gates for departing passengers, and 15 passport control booths for arriving passengers.