Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has said that construction of a second runway at Astana International Airport is set to begin in 2026.

Bektenov made these remarks at an expanded government meeting chaired by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

Bektenov outlined a broader push to upgrade Kazakhstan’s transport infrastructure. This year, the country will complete two new railway lines totaling 475 kilometers and modernize 2,900 kilometers of existing tracks. These steps are expected to boost transit shipments by 60%, while increasing the average speed of container trains to 50 km/h. By the end of the year, cargo delivery time from the Chinese border to the Caspian Sea will be cut from 84 hours to 55 hours. In parallel, construction and reconstruction work will cover 11,000 kilometers of roads nationwide.

The prime minister acknowledged that aging railway infrastructure remains a key obstacle to fully unlocking Kazakhstan’s transit potential. To address this, the Government continues to oversee a comprehensive modernization program for the main railway network.

Turning to aviation, Bektenov said the launch of the second runway in Astana will allow for major repairs to the existing runway, which has not been renovated for more than 20 years. Once operational, the new runway is expected to quadruple the airport’s capacity to 40 million passengers annually.

He also announced that reconstruction of Almaty Airport’s domestic terminal will be completed in July this year, increasing its capacity from 14 million to 19 million passengers. Modernization of the airport’s runway will begin as well.

In addition, Bektenov noted that by presidential order, market-based pricing for aviation fuel has been introduced. As a result, fuel prices have dropped from $1,200 to around $950, significantly enhancing the attractiveness of Kazakhstan’s airspace for foreign airlines and supporting the country’s ambitions as a regional transport hub.