Published
10/11/2026, 13:21Airlines in the five Central Asian countries carried 31.7 million passengers in 2025. By 2035, 12 major airport development projects with a total value of $5.1 billion are either underway or planned in the region. This was reported by the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB).
According to the EDB, between 2015 and 2025, the available capacity of the region’s aircraft fleet grew by an average of 7.7 per cent per year — almost three times faster than the global market.
Air freight volumes also increased significantly. Between 2023 and 2025, these volumes more than quadrupled, reaching 335,700 tonnes.
Cumulative foreign direct investment in Central Asia’s air transport sector stands at $1.4 billion. Investment opportunities extend not only to airport construction but also to the development of warehousing infrastructure, the procurement of aircraft, and their maintenance and refuelling.
Further potential lies in the development of low-cost carriers, intra-regional air links and cargo transit.
The EDB considers regulatory modernisation to be essential for the sector’s further growth. Priorities include expanding the ‘open skies’ policy, particularly for cargo transport, improving market access conditions for airlines, developing regional alliances and digitalisation.
