Friday, August 10, 2012 -
Net income for Kyrgyzstan’s civilian airport at Manas increased by 17 percent in the first half of 2012 when compared with income levels last year, the government said in a Friday report.
Gross revenues for the airport are up 15 percent, the airport said.
Twelve airlines now use Manas regularly, and this number is increasing, the airport’s press service representative said.
The civilian Manas airport operates near the Manas Air Transit Center, currently used by U.S. and NATO forces to ferry goods and soldiers into and out of Afghanistan. Though the U.S. was eager to extend the contract beyond 2014 - the year when NATO forces are intending to withdraw from Afghanistan - the Kyrgyzstan government remained firm on its intention to turn the transit center in to a key logistics point.
The Manas airport served 828,855 passengers in the first six months of 2012, compared to 636,855 passengers last year.
The 30.2 percent increase in passengers is due to the introduction of the Boeing-737 to Kyrgyz airlines this year, the airport said, which has more room for passengers.
Freight traffic through the airport is up 15 percent.
Manas Airport is one of 11 airports in the Central Asian state.