Ashgabat International Airport named after Saparmurat Turkmenbashi is located near the capital of Turkmenistan. Here there are the best conditions in the country for receiving not only domestic flights, but also the largest liners from around the world. Turkmen Airlines is based at this airport.
General information
Ashgabat is an airport that was opened in 1994. During its construction, the best equipment at that time was used and unique architectural solutions were implemented. The airport had two runways that can accommodate all types of aircraft.
Thus, a passenger flow of about one and a half million people began to pass through the airport every year. Aircraft of local and international airlines began to arrive here.
At that time, Ashgabat Airport was the largest in the country. However, in 2013, a decision was made to build a complex called Oguzhan, which was supposed to meet modern international standards.
Airport location
In fact, the airport named afterSaparmurat Turkmenbashi is located within the city limits. The distance to it from the center of Ashgabat is only 7 km. There are several spacious routes leading to the airport. Saparmurat Niyazov Avenue and Neutrality Avenue lead here.
Ashgabat is the airport, which is the only point for receiving international flights within a circle of 370 km from the capital. The next terminal is located at the specified distance in the city of Mary.
Transportation
Since Ashgabat airport has no clear borders with the city, passengers do not experience any problems with public transport. Buses No. 1 and No. 18 run to the central part of the capital of the state. The intervals between their delivery to stops near the exits from the airport terminals are no more than 20 minutes.
Here is a whole mass of free parking for cars. You can leave the airport by a relatively inexpensive taxi. The only inconvenience for passengers may be the need to pay for the fare in local currency, which must be exchanged in advance at the airport building.
New air complex
In 2013, the construction of a new complex of the Oguzhan airport started. Its construction was part of the plans of the country's leadership for the socio-economic development of the state.
For the construction of the complex, the company "Turkmenistan Airlines" entered into relevant contracts with the Turkish construction organization "Polimex", whose specialists were engaged in the design of the facility.
The project includedconstruction of three new terminals: cargo, passenger and terminal for VIP clients. To serve numerous international flights, a runway with a length of 3800 m was built, and the old one was reconstructed. Among other things, additional parking areas, taxiways, and aprons for aircraft placement have been built. Towers have been erected to accommodate dispatch services to control the direction of flights. The total area of the air complex was 1200 hectares.
Warehouses are located on the territory of the new airport, capable of accommodating up to 200,000 tons of cargo. There are also stations for refueling liners, as well as hangars intended for the maintenance of aviation equipment.
Among other things, plans were implemented for the construction of a number of administrative buildings, which housed the representative offices of the companies "Turkmenistan Airlines" and "Turkmenistan". A school for training pilots, airport personnel, training complexes for crew training, and medical centers began to be based here. A museum was also opened, where exhibits related to the development of Turkmen aviation were presented.
The airport's runways were commissioned in 2015. To service the latter, the designers built a 65-meter control tower. The new airport was officially opened on September 17, 2016.
Small Airport Terminal
For the period of construction of a new complex of facilities at Ashgabat airport, maintenancearriving and departing international flights took over the small airport terminal number 2. Before that, it was the main and only terminal of the airport terminal.
The terminal was built back in Soviet times, and its area is 14,000 m22. For an hour, the terminal is able to serve about 1200 passengers. After the commissioning of the complexes of the new Oguzhan airport, terminal No. 2 began to be used to receive and send local flights to the center of the country.
New airport infrastructure
Modernization of the airport served as the basis for improving the infrastructure, which was supposed to correspond to the international status of the facility. Today the new Ashgabat airport has:
- comfortable waiting rooms;
- pharmacy and medical centers;
- souvenir shops;
- many shops and supermarkets;
- currency exchange offices;
- free Wi-Fi distribution areas;
- restaurants serving local cuisine;
- free car parks.
It is worth noting that the above services are offered to passengers around the clock, and at affordable prices. The airport staff is able to provide information of interest in Russian and English.
Ashgabat is an airport that does not have adjacent hotels. In order to accommodate passengers, the Lachin Hotel was built a few kilometers from the airport terminal. Heretravelers are offered comfortable double and single rooms.
Regular flights
Ashgabat is an airport that in Soviet times was considered exclusively as a point for receiving domestic flights. Currently, in addition to the liners of local airlines, its runways receive aircraft from many countries around the world. Aircraft of such well-known companies as Lufthansa, Belavia, Fly Dubai, Turkish Airlines, China Airlines land here, which are engaged not only in passenger, but also in cargo transportation.
