On the vast border between China and Kazakhstan, a highly anticipated new airport is moving from blueprint to reality. With the reconstruction of the global logistics chain and the growing status of the Eurasian corridor, Kazakhstan is determined to build a new international freight and passenger airport in the Khorgos Dongmen Special Economic Zone, making it a key hub connecting China, Central Asia and Europe. This land located in the heartland of Central Asia was once an important stop on the ancient Silk Road, and now it has once again become a focus of Eurasian trade.

This is one of the most important and promising investment projects at present, "said Deputy Akimdias Estoretov in an interview, unable to conceal his excitement. He revealed that the goal of the project is to establish Kazakhstan as the core node of Eurasian trade, and Khorgos, located on the border between China and Kazakhstan, is looking at its regional advantages as a strategic logistics cluster.

The project is developed by Skyhansa LLP, a joint venture between Kazakhstan and Germany, and coordinated by the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The regional government has allocated approximately 800 hectares of land within the economic zone and initiated preliminary preparations to reduce implementation risks. Estoritov emphasized that with the increasing demand for high-value, time sensitive goods, a single mode of transportation has become a bottleneck. The new airport will integrate air, rail, and road resources to form a multimodal logistics system, specifically serving industries such as e-commerce, pharmaceuticals, and electronic products.

In fact, Kazakhstan's exploration of multimodal transport has already begun. As early as 2014, KTZ Express transported HP products by air from Chongqing, China to Amsterdam, the Netherlands via a railway air corridor, covering a distance of 9900 kilometers in just 7 days. This successful case provides a strong footnote for the feasibility of the new airport in Khorgos. Estoritov pointed out that the seamless connection of air rail intermodal transportation can significantly reduce door-to-door transportation time and cost, which is the key to future logistics competition.

Three stage construction of Eurasian transit hub

The project construction will be carried out in three steps. The first phase is planned to be completed by mid-2027, covering core airport facilities, cargo terminals, fuel complexes, aviation technology centers, and supporting hotel business centers, and connecting with existing railway and highway networks. The second phase will expand freight and passenger transport capabilities, build more logistics and warehousing facilities, improve refueling capacity, and attract airlines and logistics partners to settle in. In the third stage, the airport is expected to be upgraded to a comprehensive international aviation hub, forming a denser route network, providing comprehensive services and maintenance, repair, and overhaul services, and deeply embedded in the industrial and commercial areas of the special economic zone.

Multimodal transportation becomes a competitive tool

Against the backdrop of accelerated restructuring of the global logistics chain, multimodal transport has become a focal point of regional competition. The new airport in Khorgos is designed to supplement the existing railway and road systems in the special economic zone and build an integrated logistics network of air, rail and road. Estoritov stated that this will not only enhance Kazakhstan's influence along the China Europe freight train, but also provide more flexible and efficient options for high value-added cargo flows between China and Europe. After the completion of the project, it is expected to significantly shorten the transportation time of Chinese goods from Central Asia to Europe, further consolidating Kazakhstan's logistics transit position in the Eurasian continent.

New fulcrum of the Belt and Road

As an important participant of the the Belt and Road Initiative, Kazakhstan has continued to increase cross-border infrastructure investment in recent years. The Khorgos Dongmen Special Economic Zone itself is a key platform for China Kazakhstan cooperation. The addition of the new airport will make it a super hub integrating railways, roads and aviation. Analysts pointed out that this is not only a strategic measure for Kazakhstan to improve its logistics level, but also will help improve the overall logistics efficiency along the the Belt and Road and promote the smooth trade between China, Central Asia and Europe.

As the completion date of the first phase in 2027 approaches, the roar of aircraft seems to have faintly spread over Khorgos. Whether this planned airport can rewrite the Eurasian logistics map as expected, time will give the answer.Editor/Yang Meiling