On May 29, 2026, a solemn “Time Capsule” laying ceremony was held at Karakol International Airport in the city of Karakol, dedicated to the commencement of construction of a new modern Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT), a strategically significant facility for the civil aviation sector of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Construction of this facility, the first of its kind in the history of sovereign Kyrgyzstan, officially began on May 15, 2026. According to the approved schedule, all construction works are planned to be completed by December 31, 2026. The project is being implemented by the State Enterprise “Kyrgyzaeronavigatsiya” under the State Civil Aviation Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The new Air Traffic Control Tower will become a unique high-tech facility within the country’s aviation infrastructure. According to the technical design specifications, the ATCT will comprise nine floors, including a basement level, with a total area of 835 square meters. The control tower itself will reach a height of 36 meters, making it the tallest aviation facility of its kind in Kyrgyzstan and providing air traffic controllers with maximum visibility across the entire airfield territory.
The implementation of this project is of strategic importance for the further development of the Issyk-Kul region. Once commissioned, the new ATCT will enable Karakol International Airport to accommodate both domestic and international flights year-round, regardless of weather conditions.
The ceremony was attended by Daniiar Bostonov, Director of the State Civil Aviation Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic; Berkut Kalmuratov, Director General of the State Enterprise Kyrgyzaeronavigatsiya; Talantbek Imanov, Mayor of Karakol; as well as representatives of the aviation industry.
