President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov took part in the ceremony of starting the construction of an international airport in the village of Jebel in Balkan velayat today, the State News Agency of Turkmenistan reports.

Speaking at the ceremony, the head of state noted that the area of the new airport, where about two hundred employees will work, will be 275 hectares. According to the project, the complex includes a number of facilities, including a passenger and cargo terminals, a control center, a rescue and fire fighting service building. A modern artificial runway with a length of 3,200 meters, two taxiways and a parking lot for six aircraft and four helicopters will also be built here.

The structure of the complex will include a specialized airfield and ground handling facilities for air liners; in total, 15 main structures will be erected. For ground handling of aircraft, it is planned to equip the new airport with 45 types of special equipment.

Thus, in three years, a modern airport will be built on this site, where various aircraft will take off and land.

The construction of this complex, the contractor of which will be determined on the basis of a tender, is financed from the Loan Agreement concluded between the Government of our country and the Abu Dhabi Development Fund.

As President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized, the new complex of the international airport will be of great importance in strengthening the material and technical base of the domestic civil aviation. It is intended to play an important role in increasing the volume of passenger and cargo traffic in air transport, in the further economic development of the country, in providing the people with services that meet the requirements of the times.

According to the established good tradition, under the thunderous applause of the audience, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov gave a symbolic start to construction, laying the first shovels of concrete in the foundation of the new airport.

Respected representatives of the older generation and other participants in the celebration followed the example of the head of state.

The transport and communication sphere is one of the key segments of the world economy and trade, directly affecting the stability and balance of world economic relations, is of great importance in solving the problems of sustainable development. To this end, large-scale work is being carried out in Turkmenistan to improve the material and technical base of civil aviation, regularly replenish its aircraft fleet, train highly qualified specialists for the industry, modernize existing and build new air harbors.

Recall that in 2010 and 2018, international airports in the cities of Turkmenbashi and Turkmenabat were commissioned. In 2016, a new complex of Ashgabat International Airport was opened. And last month, the International Airport was commissioned in the city of Kerki, Lebap velayat. And now the construction of another modern air harbor in Balkan velayat has been launched, which is assigned the role of an important link in regional and interregional transport and transit communications.