Published: 10/29/1997

Takhir Bakhranov, director of Bukhara airport, tells ConCISe that Bukhara has received $68m out of $160m given by Japanese financiers for the modernisation of airports in Bukhara, Samarkand and Urgentch. The first stage of the modernisation was successfully finished on 18 October. Japan's Shimidzu acts as the main contractor on the three airports, with the bulk of construction work being done by Turkey's Av-Sel builder. In accordance with the initial plan, Av-Sel completed construction of the passenger terminals and strengthening of runways to the UNESCO-sponsored 2,500th anniversary of Bukhara and Khiva (Khorezm). Now each airport has a 3,000m x 50m runway and a terminal with a peak capacity of 150-200 passengers per hour. The runways provide for operations of all types in the Uzbeki inventory. Siemens equipment allows ICAO Cat.1 landings. Bakhranov says the facilities are gifts from the Uzbeki Government and the national flag-carrier to the population of the ancient cities. The new terminal in Bukhara will serve passengers flying Uzbekistan Airways to Tashkent, Urgentch, Fergana and Moscow. With its completion, the peak capacity of the airport rose from 80 to 150 passengers per hour. The old terminal, erected in 1960, has been rebuilt for other purposes. In parallel with Turkish builders, their Yugoslavian colleagues reconstructed an old building for high-ranking delegations, also referred to as the "presidential terminal" or "Bukhara-2". On 22 September, the building was inspected by President Karimov during his trip to Bukhara for the opening of a local oil-processing factory. The second stage of the modernisation calls for the completion of the already-started international flights terminal, which will have a peak capacity of 350 passengers per hour and a cargo terminal for 100 tonnes of cargo daily (or six flights of An-12 freighters). In January 1998, Uzbekistan is to conduct a tender between Japanese companies for outfitting those facilities with appropriate equipment. Both terminals should be completed by the year 2000. Currently, Uzbeki Yak-40, An-24 and Tu-154 airliners make 7-8 flights daily from Bukhara to Tashkent, Urgentch and Samarkand. Bakhranov said that Uzbekistan Airways will shortly resume a regular service between Bukhara and Moscow using its Tu-154s. There are plans to commence charter flights to the Arab Emirates, India, Israel and Pakistan. According to Bakhranov, St.Petersburg-based Pulkovo Airlines is going to resume its regular service, St.Petersburg-Ufa-Bukhara, using the Tu-154 in summer and Tu-134 in winter. Negotiations are in progress with Air Ukraine on re-starting non-stop Kiev-Bukhara flights. Bukhara airport also serves as a base for eight An-2 piston biplanes. They are employed as agricultural aircraft, chiefly for spraying cotton fields. This year four biplanes flew agricultural mission in Fergana valley, whereas the other four worked in the Bukhara region. (AP1097.1) (VK)

Article ID: 73