Uzbekistan is moving ahead with one of its most ambitious infrastructure projects in recent years — a new international airport for Tashkent to be developed under a public private partnership between state operator Uzbekistan Airports and a global consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Vision Invest, joined by Japan’s Sojitz Corporation and South Korea’s Incheon International Airport Corporation.
The PPP agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Tashkent International Investment Forum on 17 June, marking the official launch of a project designed to reposition Uzbekistan as a key aviation and logistics hub for Central Asia and beyond.
Strategic location and scale of the new hub
The new international airport will be built in the Urtachirchik and Kuyichirchik districts of Tashkent region, on a site of about 1 310 hectares — a land bank that gives room not only for a modern airfield and terminal, but also for logistics, commercial and hospitality infrastructure around the airport perimeter.
In its first phase, the project envisages two four kilometre runways, a large passenger terminal of around 208 thousand square metres, a fuel storage and refuelling complex, modern air traffic control tower and extensive aircraft parking areas. Once operational, the airport is planned to handle up to 20 million passengers and about 300 thousand tonnes of cargo annually, with provisions to raise passenger throughput significantly over time if demand grows.
Structure of the PPP and investor mix
The international consortium behind the project combines capital and sector expertise from the Gulf, East Asia and Uzbekistan itself. Vision Invest from Saudi Arabia holds a 45 percent stake, Sojitz Corporation from Japan 30 percent, Incheon International Airport Corporation from South Korea 15 percent, while Uzbekistan Airports retains 10 percent.
Under the PPP model, the private consortium will finance, build and operate the passenger terminal and landside infrastructure, including the forecourt and related commercial areas. The state partner, Uzbekistan Airports, is responsible for construction and operation of the airfield complex — runways, taxiways and apron — aligning with the broader national strategy to keep core aerodrome assets under public control while inviting private management into terminal and service operations.
The total project cost is estimated at over two billion dollars, of which around 878 million dollars will be invested by Uzbekistan Airports. The mix of public funding and foreign direct investment is expected to catalyse bank lending, engineering services and supply contracts across the construction and infrastructure value chain.
Preparation, standards and implementation timeline
Before signing the PPP agreement, extensive preparatory work was carried out. Environmental and social impact assessments were conducted in line with the requirements of international financial institutions, a detailed PPP contract structure was developed, project documentation for relocation of engineering networks was prepared, and early site preparation works for the future airport complex were launched.
Construction is scheduled to start in the near term, with phased works beginning after the relocation of utilities and completion of land preparation. Commissioning of the new airport is planned for the end of 2030, a timeline that aligns with Uzbekistan’s broader transport and logistics development goals for the decade.
The project has been initiated at presidential level and is supported by the government, the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Transport. As the chairman of Uzbekistan Airports Javlonbek Umarkhodjayev noted, the airport project was developed on the initiative of the president with backing from key economic institutions, and the signing of the PPP agreement represents an important step towards implementation.
Implications for construction, logistics and hospitality sectors
For Uzbekistan and the wider Central Asian macroregion, the new airport is more than a transport asset — it is a future anchor for multimodal logistics corridors, regional tourism and urban development. The scale of the terminal and cargo facilities will require substantial input from international construction companies, engineering firms, materials suppliers and technology providers, opening a multi year pipeline of contracts in structural works, finishing, mechanical and electrical systems and airport specific equipment.
Surrounding the airport, demand is likely to grow for hotels, business centres, exhibition spaces, warehousing and light industrial parks, as the location turns into a key gateway for business travel and cargo flows. This will create opportunities for developers, architects and designers to shape new urban clusters and commercial districts connected to the airport, and for manufacturers of building materials, façades, lighting, flooring and fit out solutions to supply large scale projects.
The PPP structure itself is also noteworthy. By clearly dividing responsibilities between the state for the airfield and the private consortium for terminals and landside assets, Uzbekistan is signalling to global investors that it is ready to expand the model to other airports and transport infrastructure. This could support a pipeline of future PPPs in regional airports and related logistics facilities, reinforcing the country’s position as a developing hub market in Central Asia.
Why this matters for international furniture, construction and design companies
For international companies in furniture, construction, interiors, exteriors, trade, design and architecture, the new Tashkent airport project is a clear signal that Uzbekistan is entering a new phase of large scale, internationally financed infrastructure development. Airport terminals, hotels, offices and retail zones require high quality seating, lounge furniture, built in joinery, wayfinding and lighting systems, as well as durable flooring, wall panels and façade solutions tailored to heavy passenger flow.
Participation in such a flagship project — directly or through local partners — can give suppliers and designers a strong reference in the Central Asian market and position them for follow on contracts in new hotels, business parks and residential developments that will emerge around the airport. At the same time, the PPP framework and the involvement of reputable foreign partners demonstrate a maturing investment climate, making Uzbekistan and its region more attractive for companies seeking to expand production, distribution or project activity in fast developing markets.
