Kazakhstan plans to build 21 new logistics centers, modernize road border crossings and upgrade airport infrastructure by 2030. The measures are intended to strengthen the country's transit capacity and its position as one of Eurasia's leading logistics hubs, infohub.kz reports.
The transport and logistics sector remains one of the government's top priorities. Officials are focusing both on raising the throughput of existing corridors and on building a modern foundation to streamline domestic and cross-border cargo flows.
Deputy Transport Minister Talgat Lastayev presented details of the ongoing reforms at a government meeting. He stressed the importance of expanding the terminal network: on top of the 46 logistics centers already operating in the country, another 21 facilities are to be built by 2030.
"In addition, to ensure the corridors are loaded with transit cargo, an external terminal network is being developed in partner countries. Three are currently in operation and seven more are in progress. This infrastructure is being developed mainly on the basis of KTZ, as well as by other Kazakh logistics operators," the speaker said.
On the road side, the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan is introducing unified quality standards for national and regional road surfaces. The control procedures will cover the full life cycle of roads, from design and paving to maintenance and operation.
Work on the railways is also in full swing. In August, construction began on the Aral-Caspian line, which is scheduled for completion by the end of 2028. Preparatory work has been launched this year on the Kokshetau-Petropavl section, with main construction set to begin in 2027.
Border logistics are also being upgraded: reconstruction has covered 37 road border crossings, which are due to be completed by the end of 2027.
A major emphasis is placed on transit air traffic between Europe and Asia. Over the next three years, terminals and runways at Kazakh airports are to be fully rebuilt. Special economic zone regimes are already in place at the country's key aviation hubs.
Cargo terminals and refueling complexes at these hubs are being modernized, with road and rail links being built to them in parallel. Air navigation infrastructure is also being upgraded using advanced technological solutions.
The cargo aviation fleet is also set to expand. As Talgat Lastayev noted, the national cargo airline AirCargo has signed a corresponding contract: the first Airbus A340 is due for delivery in November this year and the second in March 2027. The carrier's fleet is subsequently planned to grow to 10 aircraft.
End-to-end digitalization is a key driver of the sector. Industry databases are being integrated on the e-Kolik smart system platform. The move to a single platform will enable electronic document flow, speed up transport procedures and guarantee transparent monitoring of cargo along the entire route.