Kazakh President Advocates Regional Air Cargo Hubs

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has chaired a meeting on the development of regional cargo air hubs, emphasizing the country’s strategic position on the Asia-Europe transit route.

Currently, cargo transport in Kazakhstan relies mainly on road and rail, but experts predict that by 2040, 20 per cent of air cargo will move along the Asia-Europe route, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

President Tokayev stressed the need to develop a multimodal logistics system connecting railways, roads, and air transport to fully leverage Kazakhstan’s geographical advantages.

With competition for transit flows and logistics investments rising in Central Asia and the South Caucasus, Tokayev warned that failing to act decisively could cause Kazakhstan to miss critical opportunities.

The president highlighted the importance of forming fully functional air hubs at key airports, defining each hub’s competitive advantages, and radically reformatting work processes. Currently, transit cargo mainly involves refueling and technical stops, with low added value due to underdeveloped infrastructure.

Tokayev also called for effective operation of special economic zones and tailoring preferential conditions to each hub’s specialization.