ASTANA – Kazakhstan is stepping up efforts to develop Astana as an international aviation hub and strengthen its transit potential through a new partnership with Singapore-based Changi Airports International (CAI), a global airport investor, manager and consultant.
The Astana akimat (administration), Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport and CAI, a subsidiary of Changi Airport Group (CAG), have signed a framework agreement to cooperate on the long-term development of Astana’s airport infrastructure, including the construction of a new airport and the further development of the existing international airport.
The agreement covers two main areas of cooperation. The first involves constructing a new airport in Astana, while the second focuses on developing Astana International Airport, including potential CAI participation in management, operations and maintenance (O&M), as well as other areas of its development, the Astana Akimat reported on Sept.
23. The parties are currently working to agree on the partnership structure, project implementation terms and the necessary documentation. Astana Deputy Akim (Mayor) Yevgeny Glotov, Deputy Minister of Transport Talgat Lastayev, and Changi Airports International Chief Executive Officer Eugene Gan signed the agreement.
Changi Airport Group is a Singaporean state-owned company that manages and develops the country’s airport infrastructure, including Singapore Changi Airport. CAG oversees airport operations, passenger and cargo traffic, commercial infrastructure, services and digital solutions.
In 2025, Changi Airport handled around 70 million passengers and more than 2 million tons of cargo, connecting Singapore with more than 170 cities worldwide. The airport has been named the World’s Best Airport 14 times at the Skytrax World Airport Awards, including in 2025 and 2026.
CAG conducts its international airport business through Changi Airports International, which has experience across more than 90 airports in over 35 countries. The agreement comes amid a broader expansion of Kazakhstan-Singapore cooperation. During Singapore Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s visit to Kazakhstan in August, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted Singapore’s airport-development experience, while the two countries have also been strengthening ties in transport, investment, digitalization and technology.
The partnership has gained momentum in recent months, including the launch of a quantum technology center in Almaty and expanded air links between Kazakhstan and Singapore. The new airport agreement adds aviation infrastructure to the growing areas of bilateral cooperation.