Tengrinews.kz — Bayanauyl Airport, which was supposed to connect one of Kazakhstan’s most popular resort areas with Astana, Almaty and Pavlodar, has still not begun receiving regular flights several years after its construction. Tengrinews.kz found out why the airport is still not operating and what is needed to launch it.
Tengrinews.kz — Bayanauyl Airport, which was supposed to connect one of Kazakhstan’s most popular resort areas with Astana, Almaty and Pavlodar, has still not begun receiving regular flights several years after its construction. Tengrinews.kz found out why the airport is still not operating and what is needed to launch it.
The airport was built, but regular flights never appeared
Construction of an airport in Bayanauyl was actively discussed several years ago. In 2017, it even received its first technical flight on the Pavlodar–Bayanauyl route, and by August 2018 it was reported that the facility was almost ready to open.
It was expected that flights to Astana, Almaty and Pavlodar would later be operated from there.
According to the Civil Aviation Committee, a paved runway measuring 1,200 meters in length and 21 meters in width was built there with private investment, along with a taxiway, apron and fencing, and electricity was connected. A small 200-square-meter building was constructed for passengers, and two helipads were prepared nearby.
Screenshot: facebook/@caakaz
However, the airport never began full operation.
According to available information, the territory is now closed, and only the sign on the terminal building serves as a reminder of the plans to receive aircraft.
Why the airport cannot be opened
The press service of the Pavlodar region akimat said that in 2024, the airfield was inspected by a special commission consisting of representatives of the akimat, designers and KazAeroNavigation specialists. Experts identified several serious violations at once, both aviation-related and environmental.
“During the monitoring, it was found that the territory of the existing airfield is located within a two-kilometer zone of specially protected natural areas. In addition, mountains are located six kilometers away on the northern side and pose an obstacle to flights. Also, when locating an airfield, a distance of three kilometers from a residential area must be observed. In fact, the distance to it is only one kilometer,” the agency noted.
In addition, the existing runway does not meet the requirements for full operation.
What needs to be done for the airport to start operating
The akimat believes that launching the airport is still possible, but only after reconstruction.
This will require:
- obtaining permission to locate the airport within environmental protection and residential zones;
- reducing the size of the runway.
According to the akimat, after reconstruction, its length should be 800 meters instead of the current 1,200 meters, and its width should be 15 meters instead of 21.
“Provided that permission is obtained to locate the airport in residential and environmental protection zones, reconstruction of the airport will be possible with the total runway length reduced to 800 meters and width to 15 meters, for flights by aircraft similar to the L-410 and Mi-8,” the akimat said.
The akimat did not specify when reconstruction could begin. It explained that the project must first comply with KazAeroNavigation’s recommendations and receive the necessary approval.
Why the airport was considered important
Bayanauyl is one of the country’s best-known natural resorts. Bayanauyl National Park includes Lakes Zhasybay and Toraigyr, as well as mountain ranges stretching roughly 40–50 kilometers from west to east and 20–25 kilometers from north to south.
The highest point in the area is Mount Kyzyltau, at 1,055 meters.
It was expected that having its own airport would make travel to the resort much faster and help increase tourist flow. For now, however, the airport remains closed, and the timeline for its possible launch is unknown.