Karaganda (airport): history, current state

Sary-Arka Airport (Karaganda) is one of the largest in Kazakhstan. Further, its history and current state are examined.

Location

This object is located in the eastern part, approximately in the center of Kazakhstan. Close to the city of Karaganda. The airport is 22 km away. On the one hand, this location is beneficial, since access to large cities is convenient from the center of the country. However, this also creates difficulties due to the fact that most of the passenger traffic is intercepted by the nearby capital airport.

History

Many cities of Kazakhstan found airports in the 30's. The last century, including Karaganda. The airport in the city appeared in 1934. Initially, flights were performed on U-2 planes.

• The first settlement, with which a regular message was opened in 1937, was Alma-Ata. Flights served the PS-9 aircraft.
• In 1944 the airport was moved to the "New City".
• After 10 years, the construction of office facilities began.
• In 1959, the runway, one-story airport building, was built. He was given the name Karaganda (City).
• In 1961, Il-14, flying from Alma-Ata to Moscow, was replaced by Il-18, which reduced the flight time from 15 hours to 4 hours. 20 minutes.
• The following year the network of flights provided by Karaganda airport was expanded: the schedule of flights was replenished by transit routes from Tashkent to Omsk, from Alma-Ata to Adler and Kiev.
• In 1963, they opened a flight from Alma-Ata to Leningrad. The fleet was replenished with An-24 aircraft, which began to be used mainly on Kazakhstani airlines. In addition, a hotel for transit passengers was opened.
• In 1964, added routes from Alma-Ata to Simferopol and from Frunze to Novosibirsk.
• The following year, the Alma-Ata-Leningrad flight was completed by intermediate points.
• In 1967, they opened a flight from Alma-Ata to Riga.
• Since 1973 the operation of the terminal attached to the airport building began.
• By the end of the 70's. The number of cities with which the regular air service of Karaganda was established exceeded 50.
• In 1980, a new airport was built - Karaganda (Central), and its operation began.
• By the mid-80's. Here completely moved the fleet.

The old airport of Karaganda was originally converted into a military one, placing a helicopter unit here. In the early 90's. It was closed and later rebuilt, because it was deep in the city.

In 1992, the Central Airport was renamed SaryArka Airport. Karaganda has also received the status of an international airport. In 1996, a new air terminal was opened, and in 2002 it was modernized again.

Since 2006, the next reconstruction began. Financing for it in the amount of 4.8 billion tenge was allocated by BTA Bank JSC. Modernization included an increase in the runway: the length of the strip was changed, parking lots and taxiways were expanded. In addition, a class A cargo terminal for cargo storage and handling, equipped with an automated accounting and control system, refrigerating chambers, packaging and storage systems, fire fighting and security systems was built. Its area is 3456 m ² , the throughput is 30 thousand tons / year. And it operates in two modes: as a temporary storage warehouse and as a customs warehouse. Also worked with the passenger area. For the first time since the change of name and status in 1992, the halls of local and international flights and a VIP room were modernized. The building was equipped with ventilation and air heating systems. Expanded service. The system for the delivery of passengers to aircraft was changed: the buses were replaced with telescopic ladders.

As a result of modernization, completed in 2008, the capacity of the airport has increased from 6.2 million to 7.5 million people, cargo turnover has increased from 95 thousand to 163 thousand tons / year, mails - from 10 Thousand up to 12 thousand tons / year. Thanks to this, according to President Daulet Khamzin, if the passenger centers are Almaty-Ata and Astana airports, the cargo center is Karaganda. Airport interested in its capabilities of foreign air carriers.

• In 2009, the flights of Karagandy-Düsseldorf to Blu wings and the transit Hong Kong-Frankfurt Lufthansa Cargo Charter began to be accepted.
• In 2010, a flight was opened in Sochi.
• In 2011 World Airways was authorized by the technical center "Sary-Arka" for the maintenance of Boeing 747 and MD-11. After that, the company launched a transit flight Shanghai-Helsinki. The routes Karaganda-Helsinki and Karaganda-Ekaterinburg were also opened.
• In 2013, the airport was certified by the ISAGO standard.
• In 2015, a direct flight to Grozny was opened.

Current state

Now Sary-Arka is one of the largest airports in Kazakhstan. It has one runway for airplanes of any class. The capacity of the terminal is 1200 people per hour. In the year of Sary-Arka can serve 2.5 million people. And 18 thousand tons of cargo. In addition to civil aviation, the air force of Kazakhstan is based there.

Problems

The main problem of the airport is the shortage of passengers. This is due to the proximity to Kazakhstan's second passenger airport Astana, which is only 200 km from it. Naturally, the capital is more popular than Karaganda. Astana Airport after modernization significantly reduced passenger traffic in Karaganda. And now he is in the process of another restoration, aimed at increasing passenger turnover. As a result, Karaganda airport capacity is only 10%.

Legal position

In 1996 an open joint-stock company "Sary-Arka Airport" was created with full state participation in the authorized capital. The following year, the company changed its status to OJSC. In 1998, a block of shares was registered in the amount of 89,551. In 2003, the name changed again to AO, and the number of shares increased by 120 units. In 2005, the Finance Department of the Karaganda Oblast conducted an open tender, where Sky Service LLP acquired a stake.