Balkhash Airport guide

Balkhash Airport (ICAO UAAH) lies about 6 km northeast of the town of Balkhash, on the northern shore of Lake Balkhash in the Karaganda Region. It is a joint civil and military airfield, and the company JSC National Airport Balkhash runs the civil side. A local skydiving club also uses the field.

The airport reopened to passengers on 1 June 2026 after a reconstruction that took two and a half years. Crews rebuilt the taxiway and apron and added a special-transport service building. The passenger building dates from the 1960s and kept its original look, but its interior was fully renovated with new arrival and departure halls, a security screening system, a baggage conveyor and electronic information boards. It also has a cafe, a mother-and-child room, a medical room and a tourist information centre. Capacity is 80 passengers per hour.

The single concrete runway, 05/23, is 2,502 m long. Qazaq Air flies daily from Astana with Bombardier Q400 turboprops, and SCAT Airlines flies from Almaty six times a week. Taxi is the only documented road link to the town.