The Sary Arka airport in Karaganda will be transformed into a multimodal hub capable of processing up to 200,000 tons of cargo. Once the project is implemented, it will create 2,000 permanent jobs and boost its tax payments, according to Maksut Kozhanov, head of the Department of Passenger Transport and Highways of the Karaganda region.
«As of today, there is a clear understanding of what this multimodal hub should look like. A subzone of the Sary Arka special economic zone must be opened at the airport. The government is obliged to ensure that all the necessary infrastructure is available for the airport. We also expect some private investments. According to some expert estimates, once the project is implemented, there will be 2,000 permanent jobs and boost tax payments by $135 million,» Kozhanov highlighted.
On May 30, the media reported that Timur Turlov, founder and CEO of Freedom Holding Corp. acquired a 60% stake in Sky Service, the parent company for the Karaganda airport.
Yerlan Ospanov, the former CEO of Verny Capital, controls 35% of the asset, while Aidan Akanov, the top executive of Verny Capital possesses the remaining 5% of the airport. Before the deal with Turlov, 95% of the company belonged to Ospanov.
The appearance of new investors opens great opportunities for the Karaganda airport, Kozhanov noted. Currently, the airport provides services to regular cargo flights from Ecuador, Belgium, and the Netherlands. For instance, Karaganda serves as a hub for flights carrying flowers that arrive daily and are then distributed throughout Kazakhstan and the CIS. Additionally, various agricultural products are transported from Karaganda to Hong Kong.
The development program for the airport is intended to last until 2030. Preliminary calculations show that the airport is capable of receiving around 200,000 tons of cargo if proper investments are made and e-commerce is implemented. Currently, the airport handles just 15,000 tons of cargo.
Three Kazakhstani private cargo airlines are based at Sary Arka Airport. They plan to purchase ten new aircraft. One plane has already been bought and is going through customs clearance.
