The new terminal at Urgench airport will be more than 4 times larger than the current one

The new terminal at Urgench Airport will be more than 4 times larger than the current one

Preliminary work on the construction of a new passenger terminal has begun at Urgench International Airport. Currently, excavation of the foundation pit is underway at the construction site.

Hwang Yong-jae, a representative of Bomi Engineering & Construction, the company carrying out the construction work, told Kun.uz that the next stage will involve piling works.

"We are currently in the initial stage of construction; excavation of the foundation pit has begun. In the next stage, piling works will be carried out. We plan to complete the construction of the airport by the end of 2028," he said.

The total cost of the modernization project is estimated at $242 million. Of this, $134 million is allocated for the private partner's facilities, and $108 million for the public partner's facilities.

The project is being implemented on a public-private partnership basis with the participation of South Korea's Incheon International Airport Corporation. The company won the international tender held in April 2025.

The agreement is designed for 22 years, of which 3 years will be the construction period and 19 years will be the concession period.

One of the main facilities of the project will be a new passenger terminal with an area of almost 39,000 square meters. The area of the current terminal is 9.2 thousand square meters.

Once the new terminal is operational, its hourly service capacity will increase from 300 to 1,300 passengers. The airport will be able to serve up to 3.5 million passengers per year instead of the current 1.2 million.

In the terminal, the flows of international and domestic flight passengers will be separated. Check-in, security screening, and baggage handling areas, VIP and CIP lounges, Duty Free retail spaces, and food outlets will be established.

According to Hwang Yong-jae, elements characteristic of Khorezm architecture will be used in the design of the new terminal.

Airport operations will not be suspended during construction. A temporary arrivals terminal built to serve passengers was handed over for airport use in August 2026.

The modernization will also cover the airfield infrastructure. Aircraft parking stands will be increased from 6 to 18, and the number of taxiways will be increased to 4. Additionally, the construction of a new 3,300-meter-long runway is planned.