Aktau Airport’s Mustafa Öktem on $600m expansion, cargo growth & Europe-Asia connectivity

Aktau International Airport is planning a $600 million expansion to strengthen its role in Central Asia’s air cargo and multimodal logistics network. What will this mean for cargo moving between China and Europe?

In this interview with STAT Trade Times, Mustafa Yıltan Öktem, Deputy General Manager of Aktau Airport, discusses the airport’s expansion plans, its cargo ambitions and how its location on Kazakhstan’s Caspian coast could support new freight flows.

The planned development includes a new 10,000 sq m cargo handling facility, an MRO centre, a training centre and a civil aviation academy. Developed with support from Lufthansa Consulting, the business plan is expected to be completed in early 2027, with construction planned to begin around the same time and take approximately 18 months.

Öktem also explains how Aktau plans to connect air cargo with rail, road and seaport operations, attract time-sensitive shipments such as e-commerce, perishables and pharmaceuticals, and make greater use of its EU RA3 certification and upgraded infrastructure for Boeing 747 freighters.

He outlines the airport’s target of handling 80,000 to 100,000 tonnes of cargo annually and explains how Aktau aims to differentiate itself from other Central Asian airports seeking to become regional transit hubs.