Şymkent International Airport
Şymkent International Airport is an international airport serving Shymkent, Kazakhstan. It has two passenger terminals and one runway. It serves as the main hub for SCAT Airlines, handling a large part of the airline's flights.
History
Foundation and early years
The airport was established on an agricultural airbase constructed in 1932. The airport started managing both passenger and freight traffic in 1933. The runway and passenger terminal of the airport were completed in 1967 after the airport was relocated to its current position in 1963.Development since the 2000s
Following the signing of an agreement in November 2012 by the governments of France and Kazakhstan, Şymkent Airport was made available to French personnel withdrawing from Afghanistan. After arriving on French aircraft, military weaponry was carried from the airport by train to Europe. In order to guarantee the transshipment operations at Şymkent Airport, France was to provide the funding for the construction of the infrastructure required for the temporary bond storage and the space needed for stricter customs checks. Additionally, it paid for the purchase or rental of loading vehicles, to accelerate wagon loading, construction of a 400 m hard-surface road, and the protection of freight in temporary storage and during transportation on Kazakhstan's railroad.The airport experienced a 20% increase in passenger traffic, rising from 440,000 passengers in 2014 to 520,000 passengers in 2017.