Buyant-Ukhaa International Airport, formerly called Chinggis Khaan International Airport from 2005 to 2020 , is a semi-operational international airport serving Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, situated southwest of the capital.p Largely replaced by a new airport, it currently functions as a backup airport for the former, with a view to being used for flight training as well as for special, charter, and government flights.
History
Development The airport was first established as Buyant-Ukhaa Central Airport on 19 February 1957. In 1958, international flights began with flights to Irkutsk and Beijing using Ilyushin Il-14 aircraft. Regular flights from the airport started in 1961.
The terminal was upgraded to make it suitable for international traffic in 1986.
Following the Mongolian Revolution of 1990 and between 1994 and 1997 a further major upgrade of construction and air navigation was achieved with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank, making the airport compliant with ICAO standards. The US$50 million construction project was carried out by the successful bidder: a German / English joint venture of Philipp Holzmann and Wimpey Asphalt.
The airport was renamed after Chinggis Khaan (Genghis Khan) to Chinggis Khaan International Airport to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the establishment of a Mongolian State on 21 December 2005. The airport achieved steady growth during the 2000s, with passenger numbers first reaching 1 million in 2012, and reaching a peak of 1.6 million in 2019, before collapsing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Replacement airport The airport was replaced by the opening of the new Ulaanbaatar International Airport in 2021. Buyant-Ukhaa is somewhat restricted, the single runway is used in one direction for arriving aircraft and in the opposite direction for departures.AIP Mongolia. Version 05/17 (2017, June 22). ZMUB AD 2.22. The new airport significantly expands capacity, and is located at the Khoshigt Valley, south of Ulaanbaatar city center. With the new airport named Chinggis Khaan International Airport, Buyant-Ukhaa reverted to its former name on July 1, 2020.
In May 2023, it hosted the Buyant-Ukhaa Airshow, the first airshow exhibited in the country.
Former airlines and destinations
Statistics Traffic figures
+ Annual traffic Passengers Change Movements Cargo(tons) Change 2007599,555 +9.6% 9,297 3,299 +11.2%2008596,765 -0.5% 9,552 3,500 +2.7%2009532,861 -10.7% 8,330 2,970 -12.8%2010665,055 +24.8% 11,678 3,922 +40.2%2011885,885 +33.2% 14,940 5,452 +27.9%20121,098,865 +24.0% 17,465 5,709 +16.9%20131,106,704 +0.7% 16,468 5,825 -5.7%20141,019,102 -7.9% 13,178 4,955 -20.0%2015955,867 -6.2% 10,985 4,710 -4.9%20161,023,045 +7.0% 11,682 4,852 +3.0%20171,251,775+22.3% 13,594 5,022 +15.0%20181,422,498+13.6% 14,899 5,339 +6.3%20191,621,571+14.0% 18,109 5,406 +1.3%2020447,478-72.4%7,2842,501-53.7%Sources: Civil Aviation Administration of Mongolia
Top destinations + Busiest domestic routes from Ulaanbaatar (2019) Rank Airport Passengers Airlines 1 Oyu Tolgoi, Ömnögovi 275,466 Aeromongolia, Hunnu Air, MIAT 2 Ölgii, Bayan-Ölgii 23,960 Aeromongolia, Hunnu Air 3 Khovd, Khovd 23,650 Aeromongolia, Hunnu Air 4 Mörön, Khövsgöl 16,863 Aeromongolia, Hunnu Air 5 Ulaangom, Uvs 15,177 Aeromongolia, Hunnu Air 6 Ovoot, Ömnögovi 14,873 Aeromongolia, Hunnu Air 7 Dalanzadgad, Ömnögovi 13,324 Aeromongolia, Hunnu Air 8 Altai, Govi-Altai 11,055 Aeromongolia, Hunnu Air 9 Choibalsan, Dornod 6,121 Aeromongolia, Hunnu Air 10 Uliastai, Zavkhan 3,409 AeromongoliaSources: Civil Aviation Administration of Mongolia
+ Busiest international routes from Ulaanbaatar (2019) Rank Airport Scheduled passengers Carriers 1 Seoul–Incheon, Korea 387,740 MIAT, Asiana, Korean Air 2 Beijing, China 214,567 MIAT, Air China 3 Moscow, Russia 94,890 MIAT, Aeroflot 4 Hong Kong 88,846 Eznis, MIAT 5 Tokyo, Japan 79,118 MIAT 6 Busan, South Korea 64,498 MIAT, Air Busan 7 Erenhot, China 50,608 Hunnu Air 8 Istanbul, Turkey 36,881 Turkish Airlines 9 Berlin, Germany 17,072 MIAT 10 Hohhot, China 15,913 AeromongoliaSources: Civil Aviation Administration of Mongolia
Other facilities The airline Aero Mongolia has its head office on the third floor of the main airport building."Ulanbator ." Aero Mongolia. Retrieved on 21 September 2011. "Head office 3rd floor, Chinggis Khaan International Airport, Ulaanbaatar" – Address in Mongolian : "Чингис хаан олон улсын нисэх буудал, Улаанбаатар 34, ш/х-105" The Air Accident Investigation Bureau Mongolia has its head office on the airport property."Address of Accident Investigation Authorities as of March 2010 ." Air Accident Investigation Bureau. Retrieved on 11 May 2011. "Mongolia Air Accident Investigation Bureau Mongolia Ministry of Road, Transportation, Construction and Urban Development of Mongolia Chinggis Khaan International Airport Ulaanbaatar 34 Mongolia" There is also one cargo hangar.
See also List of airports in Mongolia List of airlines of Mongolia
Notes
References
External links
Official website Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia Aeronautical Information Publication