TAV takes over operations at Almaty Airport

TAV Airports President&CEO Sani Şener said: “We’re happy to add Almaty Airport, which is a main transit hub between Asia and Europe, to our portfolio." Image: TAV

The capacity of the airport will be doubled with a USD 200M investment. Almaty is the 15th airport in TAV’s global network.

A member of Groupe ADP, TAV Airports took over operations in Almaty, the economic capital and the busiest airport of Kazakhstan. TAV is now 85% beneficial owner of Almaty Airport and associated fuel and catering businesses, and Kazakhstan Infrastructure Fund, managed by VPE Capital and backed by Kazyna Capital Management, holds the remaining 15% stake. Almaty is the first airport in TAV’s portfolio where the company owns the airport instead of a time limited concession.

Located in the southeast of the country and an important stop on the ancient Silk Road, today Almaty is a strategical junction along the “One Belt One Road” project, connecting China-Central to West Asia, Europe and Africa. Kazakhstan leads Central Asia in economic growth and generates roughly 60% of the region’s GDP.

TAV Airports President&CEO Sani Şener said “We’re happy to add Almaty Airport, which is a main transit hub between Asia and Europe, to our portfolio. Almaty is strategically located on ‘the modern Silk Road’, established from China to Europe and Africa through air transport. Kazakhstan is the largest country in the region -both geographically and economically- and Almaty is the largest city in the country producing 20% of Kazakhstan’s GDP.

“We believe there’s a significant potential for growth in Almaty Airport, and drawing upon our extensive know-how, we’ll work towards realising this potential to the fullest. As part of the largest airport management group globally, we’ll be promoting Almaty and Kazakhstan as the business capital of the region, as a country with a rich cultural heritage and diverse tourism opportunities. Our expertise in route development will help to increase the connectivity of Almaty to the world. As an example, in Georgia we doubled the number of destinations and increased passenger traffic seven fold in a decade.

He concluded: “Our aim is to contribute to the economic and social development of Almaty region, creating employment and facilitating a global reach for local businesses. I would like to underline the supporting approach towards foreign investors in Kazakhstan and thank government officials, our partner, our lenders and employees who made this process as smooth as possible.”