Astana Airport cargo volumes up 20% in first eight months

Image: Astana Airport

Astana Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport (NQZ) handled 10,400 metric tons of cargo and mail between January and August 2026, marking a 20% year-over-year increase. According to airport management, the surge was primarily driven by higher scheduled freighter frequencies and expanded transit operations.

In August alone, the terminal processed over 1,500 metric tons. Scheduled throughput was dominated by general consumer goods, express courier shipments, high-tech equipment, industrial components, pharmaceuticals, and mail.

Beyond scheduled operations, the Kazakh capital’s airport handled ad-hoc charters, cold-chain temperature-sensitive perishables, live animals, and rapidly expanding e-commerce flows. Notable special charter operations in August included two flights carrying 94 tons of premium cheese and a live cattle shipment totaling 95 tons.

The airport is also solidifying its position as a multimodal logistics node. Through a road-feeder service model, approximately 168 tons of e-commerce cargo were trucked into Astana in August, processed, and uplifted for onward air transport to Europe.

Growth has been heavily supported by international carriers leveraging NQZ for technical stops and refueling on Asia–Europe transcontinental routes.

Year-to-date, Luxembourg-based Cargolux has resumed tech stops at the hub, while Sichuan Airlines and Hong Kong’s Cathay Cargo have launched new freight services.

Chinese freighter operator Air Central (China Central Longhao Airlines) is scheduled to launch operations through NQZ in September.