Singapore’s Changi Airports International (CAI) will help develop a feasibility study for the new Tashkent airport project. The CEO of Uzbekistan Airports Rano Juraeva and CEO of Changi Airports Eugene Gan exchanged signed agreements on May 24 as part of the Uzbek-Singapore business forum, held in Tashkent and timed to coincide with the visit of Singapore President Halimah Yacub to Uzbekistan.
Rano Juraeva underscored that Tashkent has a huge untapped export potential as an international hub that could connect Europe and Asia, but the existing airport has many limitations, as with the enlargement of the capital, it turned out to be virtually in the city downtown.
“Analyzing the passenger traffic, we came to the conclusion that it is growing very fast. Even today, at peak hours, terminals are barely accommodating passengers, and there are not enough parking lots for aircraft. Therefore, we are working on the issue of building a new airport. As consultants, we invited the best airport in the world - Changi Airports International. Their goal is to help us develop a feasibility study, taking into account the creation of an international hub and the use of the most modern airport technologies in the construction of a new airport,” she said.
At the same time, CAI experts will simultaneously engage in consulting to optimize the operation of the existing airport in terms of aviation and non-aviation activities, the Uzbekistan Airports CEO said.
The passenger traffic of the country's main airport in 2022 topped 5 million passengers, exceeding the pre-pandemic period. According to the forecasts of Uzbekistan Airports analysts, about 8 million passengers are expected this year.
According to the press service of Uzbekistan Airports, after signing the agreement, the parties will soon commence work in two areas: optimization of the operation of the existing airport, including boosting the competitiveness and quality of passenger service, introducing advanced technologies and increasing passenger traffic, as well as the feasibility study for the project of the new Tashkent airport in 2023-2024. As we noted, the cost of the project could be up to $1 billion.
“Changi Airports International is pleased to cooperate with Uzbekistan Airports. Uzbekistan is one of the fastest growing countries in the Central Asian region with great potential for business and tourism. We look forward to sharing our experience in airport development and management to optimize the capacity, operating standards and financial performance of the existing Tashkent airport, as well as support plans for the development of a new airport,” said Eugene Gan, CEO of Changi Airports International.
Changi Airports International is an international airport, one of the aviation hubs in Asia and the only airport in Singapore. Since its opening in 1981, the airport has become a benchmark in the aviation industry, receiving more than 280 awards between 1987 and 2007. The airport registered 68.3 million passengers in 2019, making it the seventh busiest airport in the world in terms of international passengers.
