Qatari firm QazAir Investments has received approval from the Kazakh government to acquire full ownership of Kazakhstan’s Atyrau Airport, Kazakhstan news agency Kursiv Media reported. The airport is currently owned by ATMA - Atyrau Airport and Transportation, a JV between Turkish Mağdenli Yer Hizmetleri ve Taşıma A.Ş. and the Social-Entrepreneurship Corporation of Atyrau who each hold a 50% stake in the airport. Financial details and timeline of the acquisition have not been disclosed.

More details: The airport is strategically located near Kazakhstan's oil exploration sites and platforms on the Caspian Sea, serving as a key export point for many oil and construction companies. In 2007, ATMA built a new terminal building and a longer runway boosting the airport’s total space to 3,686 sq meters. The new terminal can serve 450 passengers an hour.

Freight capacities: The airport’s freight services include a 300 sq m cargo warehouse which processes 450 tons of cargo, mail and luggage monthly, according to their website. The airport supports passenger and cargo flights to Turkey, Egypt, Russia and the Netherlands, according to Kursiv Media.

About QazAir Investments: The firm is registered under the Qatar Financial Center (QFC) as a limited liability company with a capital of USD 1k and equity capital of USD 300k.

Qatar has been on an acquisition spree: Qatar Airways has been looking to acquire 20% of South African-based airline Airlink and is currently finalizing the acquisition of a 49% stake in RwandaAir. The carrier acquired a 60% stake in a USD 1.3 bn international airport development in Rwanda back in 2019, which is slated for completion in 2027. The carrier also inaugurated its first cargo hub outside of Qatar last year at Kigali International Airport in Rwanda in partnership with RwandAir.

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