History of Tashkent Airport in 17 colorized historical photos

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Tashkent Airport in 1966. Boarding Gate No. 6. Photographer: B. E. Vdovenko

This collection features archival photographs of Tashkent Airport from the 1950s to the early 1990s. Many of them are presented in color thanks to digital colorization and restoration. They offer a glimpse into how Uzbekistan’s main airport evolved over several decades.

History of Tashkent Airport

The first regular passenger air route from Tashkent opened in May 1924. Aircraft operated flights to Almaty and back. The airport’s first terminal building was constructed in the 1930s, but it has not survived to the present day.

Regular Tashkent–Moscow flights began in October 1955 using Il-14 aircraft, followed by the introduction of jet-powered Tu-104 aircraft in 1956. From 1959 onward, Il-18 aircraft were introduced on many routes.

In 1958, Tashkent Airport received the status of a Class I international airport. During the same period, the airport’s infrastructure expanded significantly.

In 1956, a two-story terminal building designed by architects I. Merport and M. Kondakova was completed. In 1974, a new terminal designed by E. Yermolayev, L. Ivanov, and I. Khusnutdinov was built nearby.

The airport complex underwent a complete reconstruction in 2001. In 2013, a domestic terminal with a separate entrance from the ring road was opened and connected to the airport by an internal roadway.

In January 2017, Tashkent International Airport was named after Uzbekistan’s first president, Islam Karimov. In 2018, the old airport terminal was demolished and replaced with a new arrivals terminal.

Today, Tashkent Airport remains one of the largest aviation hubs in Central Asia. During the first half of 2026, Tashkent International Airport handled 40,283 flights, up 7 percent from a year earlier. Passenger traffic increased by 17 percent to 5.36 million people, while cargo and mail volumes rose by 33 percent to 48,200 tons. These figures were published by Uzbekistan Airports on its Telegram channel in late July 2026.

Below are archival photographs of Tashkent Airport from different years, colorized and enhanced by the author using artificial intelligence tools.

Tashkent Airport in the 1950s

Tashkent Airport in 1958–1959. A Tu-104A operating the Tbilisi–Tashkent route. Photographer: G. Grafkin
Tashkent Airport in 1958–1959. A Tu-104A operating the Tbilisi–Tashkent route. Photographer: G. Grafkin
Restaurant at Tashkent Airport in 1958. Photographer: Howard Sochurek, LIFE magazine
Restaurant at Tashkent Airport in 1958. Photographer: Howard Sochurek, LIFE magazine

Tashkent Airport in the 1960s

A GAZ-21 Volga taxi outside Tashkent Airport in 1964. Photographer: S. E. Beznosov
A GAZ-21 Volga taxi outside Tashkent Airport in 1964. Photographer: S. E. Beznosov
The square in front of Tashkent Airport in 1964. Photographer: S. E. Beznosov
The square in front of Tashkent Airport in 1964. Photographer: S. E. Beznosov
The Kosmos Hotel on the grounds of Tashkent Airport in 1965. The six-story hotel building opened in 1964. Today it houses the Flight Complex State Unitary Enterprise.
The Kosmos Hotel on the grounds of Tashkent Airport in 1965. The six-story hotel building opened in 1964. Today it houses the Flight Complex State Unitary Enterprise.
Tashkent Airport and its surroundings as seen in 1966. View from an aircraft window. Photographer: B. E. Vdovenko
Tashkent Airport and its surroundings as seen in 1966. View from an aircraft window. Photographer: B. E. Vdovenko
Tashkent Airport in 1966. Passenger check-in and baggage processing pavilion for Tu-104, Il-18, and An-10 aircraft. Photographer: B. E. Vdovenko
Tashkent Airport in 1966. Passenger check-in and baggage processing pavilion for Tu-104, Il-18, and An-10 aircraft. Photographer: B. E. Vdovenko
Tashkent Airport on November 4, 1967. The photograph shows a Douglas DC-8-62 jet airliner of SAS Scandinavian Airlines, manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. This was the inaugural flight of SAS’s Trans-Asian Express route linking Copenhagen, Tashkent, Bangkok, and Singapore. SAS even opened a representative office in Tashkent, located in the Hotel Tashkent
Tashkent Airport on November 4, 1967. The photograph shows a Douglas DC-8-62 jet airliner of SAS Scandinavian Airlines, manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. This was the inaugural flight of SAS’s Trans-Asian Express route linking Copenhagen, Tashkent, Bangkok, and Singapore. SAS even opened a representative office in Tashkent, located in the Hotel Tashkent
Continuation: McDonnell Douglas DC-8-62 airliner
Continuation: McDonnell Douglas DC-8-62 airliner

Tashkent Airport in the 1970s–1980s

An Il-18B government aircraft at Tashkent Airport in 1970. This was the same aircraft that flew the world’s second cosmonaut, Gherman Titov, back to Moscow on August 8, 1961, after his spaceflight. Photographer: Alexey Varfolomeyev
An Il-18B government aircraft at Tashkent Airport in 1970. This was the same aircraft that flew the world’s second cosmonaut, Gherman Titov, back to Moscow on August 8, 1961, after his spaceflight. Photographer: Alexey Varfolomeyev
The 1970s, when route buses, taxis, and private cars could freely drive up to the terminal building of Tashkent Airport. Photographer: A. Varfolomeyev
The 1970s, when route buses, taxis, and private cars could freely drive up to the terminal building of Tashkent Airport. Photographer: A. Varfolomeyev
A flight attendant beside a brand-new GAZ-24 Volga at Tashkent Airport, 1973–1975
A flight attendant beside a brand-new GAZ-24 Volga at Tashkent Airport, 1973–1975
The arrival of Guyanese Prime Minister Forbes Burnham at Tashkent Airport in 1978. Tu-134AK aircraft of the 235th Separate Government Aviation Squadron. Photographer: Vladimir Akimov
The arrival of Guyanese Prime Minister Forbes Burnham at Tashkent Airport in 1978. Tu-134AK aircraft of the 235th Separate Government Aviation Squadron. Photographer: Vladimir Akimov
Civil aviation pilots, the Rudenko brothers, at Tashkent Airport in 1981. The brothers were graduates of Tashkent Orphanage No. 22. Social mobility in the Soviet Union, it must be admitted, did exist. Photographer: Viktor Chernov
Civil aviation pilots, the Rudenko brothers, at Tashkent Airport in 1981. The brothers were graduates of Tashkent Orphanage No. 22. Social mobility in the Soviet Union, it must be admitted, did exist. Photographer: Viktor Chernov
A Boeing 727 of Ariana Afghan Airlines at Tashkent Airport in 1983. Photographer: Vsevolod Tarasevich
A Boeing 727 of Ariana Afghan Airlines at Tashkent Airport in 1983. Photographer: Vsevolod Tarasevich

Tashkent Airport in the 1990s

Uzbek President Islam Karimov welcomes Soviet Prime Minister Valentin Pavlov at Tashkent Airport in May 1991. Do you remember Pavlov’s monetary reform?
Uzbek President Islam Karimov welcomes Soviet Prime Minister Valentin Pavlov at Tashkent Airport in May 1991. Do you remember Pavlov’s monetary reform?

I began flying through Tashkent Airport with my family in 1965–1966, when I was only three or four years old. This is exactly how I remember it. What memories do you have of the old Tashkent Airport?

Featured image: Tashkent Airport in 1966. Boarding Gate No. 6. Photographer: B. E. Vdovenko. This is exactly how I remember the airport from my childhood.

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