Upon arrival on a working visit to Shymkent, Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov inspected the condition of the city's airport outside of the scheduled programme and instructed to accelerate the construction of a new terminal.
Alikhan Smailov noted that Shymkent is the third largest metropolis in the country, conveniently located at the junction of traffic flows between East and West. This, in turn, creates conditions for both direct and transit flights.
At the same time, the Prime Minister stressed that the condition of the city airport, which is a kind of a trademark of Shymkent, does not correspond to the status of an international airport.
"Back in 2018, an order was given to build a new terminal. Why has it still not been commissioned? The condition of the airport creates the first impression for tourists, visitors to the city and the country as a whole. In this regard, rapid commissioning of the new terminal is of great importance," Alikhan Smailov said.
Akim of Shymkent Murat Aitenov reported that the project is now more than 80% complete, with a total of 40,000 square metres under construction. The final commissioning is expected by the end of 2023. According to the akim, it will be one of the largest terminals in the republic.
The Head of Government pointed out that the Akimat needs to complete all works as soon as possible and not to allow further delay in construction.