OREANDA-NEWS. January 9, 2008. On the first days of 2008 President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov made a working trip to the Balkan Velayat to inspect the progress of the large-scale reform programmes accelerated throughout the country. A number of the projects unprecedented by scale and goals of paramount importance for the country, region and international community were launched in the littoral region of Turkmenistan. Establishing an extensive transport and communications infrastructure guaranteeing successful national development and accomplishment of the grandiose plans is a priority of the Turkmen leader’s reform policy. That is conditioned by the geographical location of Turkmenistan at the strategic crossroads of the international land, air and sea routes as well.

The world class airport in Turkmenbashi town is to be a primary transit point on the air routes from Europe to Southern and Southeastern Asia, the ‘air’ gateway of the Avaza national tourism zone created on the Caspian Sea coast. The ‘air harbour’ is to be put into operation in October 2009. The Polimeks Company (Turkey) is to implement the project on construction, reconstruction and equipment of the airport amounted to 125 million euro by request of the Turkmenhowayollary State National Service.

The three-storeyed building of the air terminal and its facilities will be capable to service 6 aircrafts and 800 passengers each hour. Passengers can enter and leave the building via the telescopic boarding bridges. Aircrafts will be filled at the centralized filling station. Aviation kerosene will be pipelined directly to the modernized fuel storage in the airport from the Turkmenbashi oil refineries located nearby. The innovations will enable to significantly increase the airport's capacity.

The old building of the airport in Turkmenbashi will be modified into the freight terminal and a covered parking area will be available in the adjacent territory. An apron will be significantly expanded. Up-to-date navigation equipment and runway – 3.5 km in length and 60 metres in width will enable handle international traffic and to cater passenger and cargo aircrafts with the takeoff weight up to 400 tons, i.e. all types of aircrafts.

In Mary the air terminal will be put into operation in a month and a half. The EFOR Compnay (Turkey) implemented the project amounted to 5 million US dollars. The air terminal consists of the two-storeyed building. The Turkish specialists are to out the new runway capable to handle all types of aircrafts by National Flag Day. The existing runway will be significantly modified. The Mary airport will meet the international passenger service standards and flight safety requirements.

The principal air gateway of the country – the Ashgabat International Airport, will be significantly modified. The project stipulates for reconstructing the air terminal, installing the Siemens heating-cooling systems in the passenger terminals, constructing a VIP hall and a parking area for 1,200 cars to the north of the passenger terminal, adding several hangars, opening the Boeing Service Centre and constructing a four-storeyed transit hotel on Neutrality Avenue nearby the building of the Ashgabat Airport.

Thus, in less than 2 years Turkmenistan will have three world class international airports in Ashgabat, Mary and Turkmenbashi and enhance its status of a transport and transit point for the destinations all over the world.