Jump to content

Jebel Airport

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Balkanabat Airport.
Balkanabat International Airport

Balkanabat halkara howa menzili
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerTurkmenhowayollary Agency [2]
ServesJebel, Balkanabat
LocationJebel, Balkan Region, Turkmenistan
Opened
  • Ceremony: 2 May 2025; 41 days ago (2025-05-02)[3]
  • All passenger services: 19 May 2025; 24 days ago (2025-05-19)
Focus city forTurkmenistan Airlines [4]
Time zoneTMT (UTC+05:00)
Coordinates39°40′42″N 054°12′28″E / 39.67833°N 54.20778°E / 39.67833; 54.20778 (Jebel Airport)
Websitejebairport.gov.tm
Map

Balkanabat International Airport (IATA: BKN, ICAO: UTAN) is an airport to serve Balkanabat and the Balkan Region in Turkmenistan.[5][6][7][8] Is one of six international airports in the country. The airport is located in Jebel, 20 kilometers northwest of the city of Balkanabat and 4 kilometers from the Mollagara mud resort. The airport was constructed with a design capacity to accommodate up to 100 passengers per hour.[9][10]

Once open, it will replace the existing Balkanabat Airport as the city's main airport. Expected to be completed by 2025. [11] During the construction period, it was referred to in the media as Jebel Airport. In addition to the new Balkanabat International Airport, there was a regional Balkanabat Airport.

History

[edit]

A tender for the construction of a new airport in Jebel, Balkan Province was announced in December 2020 by the Ministry of Construction and Architecture of Turkmenistan.[12]

On June 10, 2021, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development[13][14][15] allocated a $75 million loan for the construction of the airport in Jebel, Balkan Region.[16] The loan, provided to State Bank for Foreign Economic Affairs of Turkmenistan, has a 15-year term, including a 3-year grace period, with an interest rate of 4% per annum.[17]

On July 14, 2021, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the future airport, which is designed to handle 100 passengers per hour.[18][19]

Construction began in August 2022. The international airport in Jebel is being constructed on a 275-hectare site by the Turkmen private enterprise Gündogdy.[20]

As of February 2024, the construction of a transformer substation, a specialized water reservoir, and fire station facilities was nearing completion. A 35-meter tower for air traffic control staff and additional technical facilities were also under construction.[21]

Balkanabat International Airport in Turkmenistan was officially opened on May 2, 2025. Meanwhile, a previously existing regional Balkanabat Airport bearing the same name was located approximately 20 kilometers away.[22][23][24] The airport was built as part of Turkmenistan’s National Socio-Economic Development Program and the National Program for the Development of Civil Aviation through 2030.[22] It has received international registration with the ICAO (code: UTAN) and a certificate of compliance with IATA standards (code: BKN).

The first domestic flights to the airport began on 19 May 2025. The Turkmenistan Airlines launched services on the following routes: Ashgabat–Balkanabat–Ashgabat, Turkmenabat–Balkanabat–Turkmenabat, Mary–Balkanabat–Mary, and Dashoguz–Balkanabat–Dashoguz.[25] At the same time, the Belarusian airline Belavia launched international flights from Minsk to Balkanabat. This route was inaugurated on 20 May 2025.[26]

Infrastructure

[edit]

The airport complex will cover an area of 275 hectares. [27] The site will include passenger and cargo terminals, an 35-metre air traffic control tower, and facilities for rescue and firefighting services.

The three-story passenger terminal, with a total area of 5,203 square meters, is designed to handle up to 100 passengers per hour.[22] The airport infrastructure includes an internet café, a buffet, a souvenir shop, a medical station, waiting lounges, a hotel, and a covered parking facility.

The runway will have a length of 3,200 meters. [27] The airport will also be equipped with ground support systems capable of handling all types of aircraft. [27]

The apron will accommodate 6 airplanes and 4 helicopters. [27]

State-of-the-art navigation, lighting, and meteorological equipment will be supplied by international companies such as Thales, Indra, Motorola, and Rohde & Schwarz.

There are also a 20-bed pilots' hotel, a specialised aircraft servicing vehicle depot, a transformer substation, water storage tanks, external water supply systems and auxiliary buildings. [27]

Access

[edit]

The international airport in Jebel, Balkan Region, Turkmenistan, is being constructed 20 kilometers northwest of the city of Balkanabat and 4 kilometers from the Mollagara mud resort. Jebel is located at the junction of the M37 highway and the P-17 highway, which leads to the Cheleken Peninsula.[28]

Airlines and destinations

[edit]

As of June 2025, Balkanabat International Airport serves flights operated by the following airlines:[29]

Passenger

[edit]
AirlinesDestinations
Belavia Minsk[30]
Turkmenistan Airlines[31] Aşgabat, Daşoguz, Mary, Türkmenabat

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ [2]
  3. ^ "Opening ceremony of the Balkanabat International Airport". TDH.
  4. ^ [3]
  5. ^ [4]
  6. ^ https://www.turkmenistan.gov.tm/en/post/80894/construction-new-international-airport-actively-underway-city-jebel The construction of a new international airport is actively underway in the city of Jebel
  7. ^ https://turkmenistan.gov.tm/en/post/65698/airports-gundogdy-builds Airports - "Gündogdy" builds
  8. ^ https://turkmenistanairlines.tm/ru/news/show/Jebel%20Airport В поселке Джебел начато строительство международного аэропорта
  9. ^ https://business.com.tm/ru/post/12272/mezhdunarodnyi-aeroport-v-dzhebele-planiruetsya-otkryt-v-dekabre Международный аэропорт в Джебеле планируется открыть в декабре
  10. ^ https://centreforaviation.com/news/construction-of-new-international-airport-commences-near-jebel-1080358 Construction of new international airport commences near Jebel
  11. ^ "Расширенное заседание Кабинета Министров Туркменистана". www.tdh.gov.tm. Retrieved 2025-02-09.
  12. ^ "Turkmenistan plans to build an airport near the "Mollagara" resort". Archived from the original on 2021-08-12. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
  13. ^ https://www.arabianbusiness.com/money/corporate/funding/464634-abu-dhabi-fund-pledges-100m-for-turkmenistan-airport-power-projects Abu Dhabi fund pledges $100m for Turkmenistan airport
  14. ^ https://centralasia.news/10015-adfd-allocates-100-million-for-projects-in-turkmenistan.html ADFD allocates $100 million for projects in Turkmenistan
  15. ^ https://en.kabar.kg/news/uae-allocates-usd100-mln-towards-airport-development-hybrid-power-plant-projects-in-turkmenistan/ UAE allocates USD100 mln towards airport development, hybrid power plant projects in Turkmenistan
  16. ^ turkmenportal. "Abu Dhabi Fund for Development to allocate $99.91 million for projects in Turkmenistan". Turkmenportal. Archived from the original on 2021-08-12. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
  17. ^ "UAE allocates $75 million for airport construction in Turkmenistan". Archived from the original on 2021-08-12. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
  18. ^ turkmenportal. "The President of Turkmenistan launched the construction of an international airport in Jebel". Turkmenportal. Archived from the original on 2021-08-12. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
  19. ^ "President of Turkmenistan launched the construction of an airport in Balkan Region". Archived from the original on 2021-08-12. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
  20. ^ https://turkmenistan.gov.tm/ru/post/65696/aeroporty-stroit-ip-gundogdy Аэропорты строит ИП «Gündogdy»
  21. ^ "Construction of a new international airport in Jebel is actively underway". turkmenistan.gov.tm. 2024-02-28. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  22. ^ a b c President of Turkmenistan attended the opening ceremony of Balkanabat International Airport
  23. ^ bt (2025-05-02). "New Balkanabat International Airport opened in Turkmenistan – Photo report". Information Center (in Russian). Retrieved 2025-05-27.
  24. ^ Cite error: The named reference auto3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  25. ^ From 19 May 2025, "Turkmenistan" Airlines temporarily suspends certain routes
  26. ^ "Belavia" begins flights to a new city | onlinebrest.by
  27. ^ a b c d e "ъВ поселке Джебел города Балканабат ведутся подготовительные работы по вводу в эксплуатацию нового международного аэропорта". turkmenistan.gov.tm (in Russian). 2025-02-14. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  28. ^ "Way: Jebel (406443351)". 12 May 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  29. ^ From 19 May 2025, Turkmenistan Airlines begins flights to Balkanabat
  30. ^ Liu, Jim (26 May 2025). "Belavia Turkmenistan Service Changes From late-May 2025". AeroRoutes. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  31. ^ Liu, Jim (26 May 2025). "Turkmenistan Airlines Domestic Service Changes From May 2025". AeroRoutes. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jebel_Airport&oldid=1295192077"