The construction of the International Airport has begun in the village of Jebel, reports "Turkmenistan: Golden Age".
On a plot of 275 hectares, a passenger and cargo terminal, a control tower, buildings for rescue and firefighting services, specialized vehicles and a 3200-meter runway, an apron designed for 5 aircraft and 4 helicopters will be built, the newspaper writes.
The airport will be able to receive aircraft without restrictions on takeoff weight and serve up to 100 passengers per hour.
Meanwhile, the ceremony of starting the construction of the airport with the participation of ex-President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov took place a year ago, in June 2021.
The project, as ordered in July by the head of the country Serdar Berdimuhamedov , was handed over to the Turkmen individual enterprise Gündogdy.
According to ZV, earlier the company participated in the construction of the International Airport in Turkmenabat and built an airport in the city of Kerki from scratch.
The work is scheduled to be completed in December 2024.
Turkmenistan received a loan for the construction of the airport in the amount of $75 million from the Abu Dhabi Development Fund. The loan agreement with the Fund was signed by Vnesheconombank for up to 15 years with a grace period of 3 years at 4% per annum.
On August 15, Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov met with representatives of the Fund and reported on the progress of projects with the participation of UAE investments.
The authorities or the state media do not give a clear explanation why the urban-type settlement of Jebel needs an international airport, limiting itself to general words about the development of transport and transit infrastructure.
According to 1989 data (the State Statistics Committee of Turkmenistan does not publish more up-to-date data), 7,697 people lived in the urban-type settlement of Jebel.
20 kilometers from the village, in the city of Balkanabat (formerly Nebit-Dag) there is an internal airport. Balkanabat is connected to Jebel by railway. The nearest major international airport , 130 kilometers to Jebel , is located in the city of Turkmenbashi, which can also be reached from the village by train. The capacity of the Turkmenbashi airport is 800 passengers per hour.
Source: Chronicles of Turkmenistan