Karakol Airport welcomed its first Airbus A320 following the refurbishment of the runway

Today, 10 August, Karakol International Airport hosted its first test flight following the completion of a major refurbishment of the runway. For the first time in its history, the airport welcomed a mainline aircraft – the Airbus A320.

The test flight marked an important stage in the airport’s preparations for the launch of scheduled international flights and confirmed that the upgraded airport infrastructure is ready to handle larger aircraft.

As part of the reconstruction, the runway at Karakol International Airport was extended from 2,450 to 3,750 metres. Modern lighting equipment and an Instrument Landing System (ILS) have also been installed, significantly expanding the airport’s operational capabilities and enhancing flight safety.

Whilst the airport’s capabilities were previously geared primarily towards handling regional aircraft, such as the Dash 8 Q400, as well as business jets and other aircraft with similar specifications, the airport’s infrastructure following the refurbishment now allows it to handle significantly larger aircraft types, including the Airbus A320 and the Boeing 737 family. The ability to accommodate other types of wide-body aircraft depends on their specific operational characteristics and requirements for airport infrastructure.

Manasbek Samidinov, Chairman of the Board of OJSC ‘Airports of Kyrgyzstan’, noted that today’s event effectively marks a new chapter in the history of aviation in the Issyk-Kul region.

Manasbek Samidinov, Chairman of the Board of OJSC ‘Airports of Kyrgyzstan’, noted that today’s technical flight was a significant event for Karakol International Airport and effectively marks a new chapter in the history of aviation in the Issyk-Kul region.

“Today is truly a historic day for Karakol International Airport. An Airbus A320 has landed here for the first time. Until recently, the airport was limited in its ability to accommodate large aircraft, but today we are moving to a completely different level”, — said Samidinov.

According to him, following the extension of the runway to 3,750 metres and the modernisation of the airport’s infrastructure, the airport now has the technical capacity to develop its international route network.

Samidinov reported that work is currently underway to launch new routes from Russia, the CIS countries, the Middle East and other promising markets.

“Our aim is to make Karakol a fully-fledged air gateway to Issyk-Kul and to provide foreign tourists with direct access to one of Kyrgyzstan’s main tourist regions”, — he emphasised.

The Chairman of the Board also noted that large-scale changes in Kyrgyzstan’s civil aviation sector have been made possible thanks to state support and the initiative of President Sadyr Zhaparov. According to him, the development of airport infrastructure and the domestic aviation industry remains one of the government’s key priorities.

Samidinov added that the pace of airport construction and modernisation in the country has accelerated significantly in recent years.

“Our task is to continue this work and make Kyrgyzstan more accessible to the whole world”, — he concluded.