Joint Kazakh-German venture Skyhansa has received 800 hectares of land in the Zhetysu region for the construction of a cargo and passenger airport on the territory of the Khorgos – Eastern Gate special economic zone, the region’s governor Beibit Isabayev stated during a government session. Development of the design specifications and estimates for engineering infrastructure is underway.
According to the company’s website, the project will handle the operation and handling of transit cargo, technical stopovers for refueling international airlines, and the development of commercial and industrial airport infrastructure, including business centers, hotels and coworking spaces.
The implementation is planned in three phases until 2032. The first one is scheduled for 2027, when the airport will be constructed. Total project investment is expected to reach $550 million.
According to the project’s presentation, a 51% stake in Skyhansa is held by Kazakhstani company SKYMAX TECHNOLOGIES focused on system integration. German The Hansa Consortium — uniting companies in the areas of airport development, jet fuel supply, mineral resource extraction and agriculture — owns 49%.
The story of the project
Plans to build an airport in Zhetysu were first announced in March 2024. At that time, Eric Shortanbayev, CEO of the SKYMAX TECHNOLOGIES group of companies, presented the project, and investors from The Hansa Consortium expressed their willingness to invest 250 billion tenge (roughly $480 million) in its implementation. At the same time, the parties signed a memorandum on cooperation between the Zhetysu regional authorities and the investing company.
The international airport construction project was expected to create 700 jobs. It was also reported that the airport would serve both passenger and cargo traffic.
