Airstrip
Airstrip

Straddled across the centre of the Eurasian landmass, Kazakhstan has long been a site of cultural and commercial exchange. However, in recent years, the world's ninth-largest country has sought to establish itself as a hub for global passenger and cargo aviation.

It's easy to see why Kazakhstan has all the components to become the world's next transit hub strategically between China, India, and Europe. This position was only strengthened after Western airlines stopped flights over Russian territory after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Kazakhstan's potential as an aviation hub has been targeted by entrepreneur and financier Timur Turlov, who recently acquired a 60% holding stake in the parent company of Karaganda's Sary-Arka Airport, strategically located in the country's centre.

According to local media, Turlov plans to inject about $270 million into renovating and expanding the airport's cargo facilities to support the launch of an affiliated cargo carrier, Altair Airlines, which will operate on routes between Kazakhstan and China.

Timur Turlov is the founder and CEO of Freedom Holding Corp., a leading global financial conglomerate headquartered in Kazakhstan's economic capital, Almaty. The company's market cap currently exceeds $5 billion, and its operations span the US and Europe.

In recent years, Freedom has sought to expand its footprint in Kazakhstan, making ambitious investments in new sectors such as mortgages and telecommunications.

But it's easy to see why air cargo has caught Turlov's eye. Kazakhstan's government has identified aviation logistics as an exciting growth area for the nation, selecting four airports—Almaty, Shymkent, Astana, and Aktobe—as key gateways for passenger and cargo traffic.

In fact, in June this year, Catalin Radu, Director General of the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan (AAK), told the Astana Times that Kazakhstan's 'strategic aim' is to position itself as a global carbo hub, citing the country's favourable geographic location and resources. Radu also noted that the proposal has the full support of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Prime Minister Oljas Bektenov.

In the same month, Turkish logistics company S Sistem announced that it would build a 30,000sq metre multimodal cargo terminal in Aktobe at an event hosted by the International Air Cargo Association in Astana.

Kazakhstan has already made significant progress in establishing itself as an important logistical conduit for East-West transportation. A new 270-kilometre railway line between eastern Kazakhstan and China is set to boost capacity by more than two-thirds.

But in an interconnected world where customer demand for fast goods delivery is on an upward trajectory, it's clear that air cargo will be vital to global supply chains.

With its prime location at the heart of Eurasia, Kazakhstan is on track to emerge as a major force in the global aviation industry.