Published
08/25/2026, 10:57Against a backdrop of overall growth in passenger traffic in Bishkek, the aviation sector recorded a decline. In the first half of the year, 787.7 thousand passengers were carried by air — 25.2 thousand fewer than a year earlier. Passenger turnover fell even more sharply — by as much as 22 per cent.
Between January and June 2025, 812,900 passengers were carried by air. A year later, this figure had fallen by 3.1 per cent to 787,700. These figures are taken from official statistics.
Passenger numbers are only part of the picture. Passenger-kilometres, which take into account both the number of people and the distance they were transported, fell much more sharply.
During the same period last year, aviation passenger-kilometres totalled 1 billion 72.1 million. In January–June 2026, this figure fell to 836.6 million. The difference amounted to 235.5 million passenger-kilometres, or 22 per cent.
The average estimated distance travelled per passenger has also changed. Whereas a year ago it stood at around 1,319 kilometres, this year it is 1,062 kilometres. The decrease amounted to almost 257 kilometres, or 19.5 per cent.
By way of comparison, 1,319 kilometres is almost the same distance as from Bishkek to Omsk. Such a flight would take around two hours. This year, the average distance has fallen to 1,062 kilometres — roughly the same as from Bishkek to Urumqi.
Air travel recorded a decline against a backdrop of overall growth in transport activity in the capital. Between January and June 2026, all modes of transport in Bishkek carried 205.1 million passengers — 4.9 per cent more than in the same period last year.
