Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport guide

Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport serves Astana, Kazakhstan's capital, from a site in the Esil District about 12 km southeast of the city centre. An airfield first opened here in December 1931; the airport has been renamed several times as the city itself changed names, becoming Astana International Airport before taking its current name in June 2017. The domestic terminal dates from 2005 and the international terminal from 2017, and passenger traffic reached 8.3 million in 2024, up more than 10% on the previous year and the second-highest total of any Kazakh airport.

Air Astana runs a secondary hub from the airport, FlyArystan and SCAT Airlines operate large domestic route networks, and Vietjet Qazaqstan (formerly Qazaq Air) adds regional services. International routes reach Istanbul, Frankfurt, Dubai, Beijing and several Russian cities, making the airport the main gateway to northern Kazakhstan. A single 3,500-metre runway with a Category IIIA instrument landing system keeps the airport open through Astana's severe winters.

The Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development owns the airport, and JSC "Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport" operates it. An automated light rail line opened in May 2026, connecting the terminals directly to central Astana.