# Aşgabat International Airport

Ashgabat International Airport (Turkmen: Aşgabat halkara howa menzili) (IATA: ASB, ICAO: UTAA), formerly known as Saparmyrat Türkmenbaşy International Airport, is one of five international airports in Turkmenistan. It is located within the city limits of Ashgabat (Ashkhabad). The old airport, with its air traffic control tower and a 3,700-metre-long (12,000 ft) precision approach runway (12L-30R), opened in 1994 and was named after the country's first president, Saparmyrat Niyazov. The new airport terminal opened in September 2016, after being completely redesigned and rebuilt and after the south runway was moved and lengthened to parallel the north runway.
Citizens of all countries have the right to visa-free transit through the international transit area of Ashgabat International Airport.

## History
### Soviet

Turkmen civil aviation began in 1927, the year air communications began between Chardzhou and Tashauz, flying through the settlements of Turtkul and Novo-Urgench (both in the Uzbek SSR). For this route, four-passenger Junkers F.13 aircraft were purchased in Germany, as well as Soviet four-passenger Kalinin K-4 aircraft. Eight aircraft served this airline. Later, in 1932, newer Soviet aircraft were purchased for the transport of passengers. The Kalinin K-5 aircraft seated six, and the Tupolev ANT-9 aircraft had twelve seats. With this replenishment of the Turkmen SSR air fleet, in 1932 an air division was formed at Chardzhou Airport that directly served the Chardzhou-Tashauz route, without stops in other settlements.
The first airport building in Ashkhabad was built in 1932, and at the end of 1934 two air units were formed there: one was equipped with Po-2 aircraft (for agricultural use), and the other consisted of TB-3 aircraft (for cargo transportation) . In 1935, was opened Ashkhabad-Tashauz airline route.
In 1944, Turkmen SSR air fleet was replenished with the Li-2 aircraft, which transported passengers and mail from Ashkhabad to Moscow via Baku, Astrakhan and Volgograd. Since 1946, Soviet aircraft Ilyushin Il-12, Il-14, An-2, Yak-12 began to be used on airlines. In the 1950s, Tu-104, Tu-114, Il-18, and An-24 aircraft appeared in the Turkmen SSR’s fleet. Powerful airliners made it possible to connect Ashkhabad by air lines with the largest cities of the USSR, the capitals of the union republics. In 1935, was opened Ashkhabad-Tashauz airline route.
In the 1980s, the civil aviation of the Turkmen SSR had the Tu-154, Yak-40, Yak-42, An-24, An-26 aircraft. Ashkhabad Airport has modern radio and radar equipment that allows it to receive aircraft at any time of the day and under adverse weather conditions. In Soviet times, the airport was used exclusively for servicing flights within the USSR. Currently, in addition to the aircraft of the local airline fleet, the airport serves the planes of several foreign airlines of the world, performing both passenger and cargo flights.

### Independent Turkmenistan

The first modern airport terminal opened in 1994 with a capacity of 1,600 passengers per hour. In Soviet times, the airport was used exclusively for domestic flights.
As part of Saparmurat Niyazov's aspiration to transform Turkmenistan into 'the new Kuwait', he sought to construct a distinctive airport. This zeal resulted in the control tower being constructed on the wrong side of the runway. The 'gaudy new terminal' blocked the view of air traffic controllers as they guided pilots. The builders warned him of this, however he responded: "It looks better this way." The building was dismantled in 2013. On 26 March 2014, a small passenger Terminal was opened. The terminal is located on the site of a pre-existing Turkmen SSR airport (behind the bus station) on 2013 Street (Cosmonaut Boulevard). For the period of construction of the main passenger terminal the temporary terminal served passengers departing from and arriving to Ashgabat. After commissioning of the main terminal in 2016, the terminal was used for domestic routes and charter flights. Currently used as a cargo storage facility.

### New building (2016)

The Turkmen government let an international tender in 2012 for reconstruction of the airport in Ashgabat, to be named "Oguz Han". Polimeks, a Turkish construction company active in Turkmenistan since the late-1990s, was declared winner of the tender. The new airport was opened on 17 September 2016 by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow. The project cost $2.3 billion (€1.7 billion) and features a highly unusual terminal design in the shape of a falcon. The new airport has capacity to serve 14 million passengers per year at a rate of 1,600 passengers per hour. The airport covers 350,000 m$^2$ and includes a passenger terminal, VIP terminal, cargo terminal with capacity to handle 200,000 tonnes of freight per year, a new air traffic control tower (ATCT), a maintenance hangar for three narrow-body aircraft, new fueling stations, catering, fire brigade, flight simulation, repair and maintenance buildings, parking space for 3,000 cars, a civil aviation school as well as a medical center. The airport has also a second 3,800-meter long runway to serve wide-body, double-deck jet airliners such as the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8. Current members of Toldy Construct team also contributed to this project. They helped to realize specialised construction and design elements of the facade and roof.

## Facilities

All services of the airport work around the clock. The airport includes passenger waiting rooms, immigration, customs, border control, a 24-hour reference service, VIP and CIP rooms, a business club, a ticket office for Turkmenistan Airlines, shops, bars, fast-food outlets, currency exchange, a new baggage handling conveyor system, international telephone, a mother and child room, and office of Turkish Airlines.

### Runways

Aşgabat International Airport now has two artificial runways, equipped with the second category ILS and platform, enabling them to take aircraft of all types. Their length is 3800 meters.

### Сargo terminal

The cargo terminal at Ashgabat International Airport, spanning 17,174 m², can handle up to 200 tons of cargo annually. It has export and import zones, cold storage, specialized rooms for animals and plants, and a medical room. Equipped with an automated Elevating Transfer Vehicles (ETV) system, it supports efficient cargo handling, including loading and unloading. Storage areas are available for perishable goods, valuable items, and dangerous goods. The terminal includes 4 loading docks in the import section and 4 in the export section, as well as a distribution center for Turkmenistan’s national postal service Turkmenpochta.

### Hotel

For the crew and transit passengers, the Lachin Hotel is a special hotel located in the transit zone of Ashgabat International Airport.

## Airlines and destinations

The following airlines offer year-round and seasonal scheduled flights to and from Ashgabat as of November 2024:

### Passenger

| Airlines | Destinations |
| China Southern Airlines | Ürümqi, Xi'an |
| flydubai | Dubai–International |
| S7 Airlines | Moscow–Domodedovo |
| Turkish Airlines | Istanbul |
| Turkmenistan Airlines | Abu Dhabi, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Beijing–Capital, Daşoguz, Delhi, Dubai–International, Frankfurt, Ho Chi Minh City, Istanbul, Jeddah, Kerki, Kuala Lumpur–International, London–Gatwick, Mary, Milan–Malpensa, Moscow–Domodedovo (suspended until 31 March 2025), Türkmenabat, Türkmenbaşy |

### Cargo

| Airlines | Destinations |
| One Air | East Midlands |
| Cargolux Italia | Milan–Malpensa |
| Cargolux | Budapest, London–Stansted, Luxembourg, Taipei–Taoyuan |
| Turkmenistan Airlines Cargo | Abu Dhabi, Daşoguz, Dubai–Al Maktoum, Frankfurt, Hanoi, Istanbul, Mary, Milan–Malpensa, Moscow–Sheremetyevo, Seoul–Incheon, Shenzhen, Türkmenbaşy, Ürümqi |

## Ground transportation
### Road

The airport is located near M37 highway and connect to them as a four-lane motorway. Terminal parking, short-term and long-term parking is available at the airport. Passengers driving their own cars can park in multilevel parking garages (mostly underground) along the terminal.

### Bus

There is regular bus service by bus line 1, 18, 22, 58 from the airport to Ashgabat city. Complete list of local services is available at the Ashgabat passenger motor transport enterprise website.
Means of transport at Ashgabat Airport :
| Means of transport | Operator | Route | Destinations | Notes |
| Bus | Ashgabat passenger motor transport enterprise | 1, 18, 22, 58, 76 | (Turkmen: Awtokombinat) (1 and 76) (Turkmen: Parahat) (18 and 22) (Turkmen: Köpetdag şaýoly) (58) | |

### Taxi

There are Awtomobil Ulag Hyzmaty company offering services at Ashgabat Airport.

## Commemoration

The Ashgabat International Airport depicted on the 1 Turkmen manat note.