Kyrgyzstan removes 6 dormant airports from shutdown as EU safety ban ends

For two decades, Kyrgyzstan's aviation sector operated under a shadow. Since 2006, the country remained on the European Union's aviation safety "blacklist," a designation that effectively froze the development of its domestic fleet and restricted the ambitions of its national carriers. However, recent data and infrastructure shifts suggest a strategic pivot from mere survival to a structured attempt at economic integration via air transport. Reactivating the Periphery: Regional Connectivity The most immediate structural change is the reactivation of regional hubs. In 2022, only five of the country's 11 airports were operational. The remaining six-including Jalal-Abad, Razzakov, Kerben, Kazarman, Naryn, and Talas-had been abandoned by private carriers due to a lack of profitability, a trend exacerbated by the EU safety restrictions which limited the types of aircraft and operators viable in the region. Under a state-led mandate, the government has completed the reconstruction of these regional airports over a two-year period. This is not merely a logistical upgrade but a strategic attempt to bypass the country's challenging geography. In mountainous regions like Kazarman and Naryn, air travel reduces travel times from several hours of arduous road transit to under one hour. To support this, the state has established Asman Airlines, equipping it with aircraft specifically designed for high-altitude, mountainous terrain.