BISHKEK MANAS AIRPORT ASSISTANCE

History Of Bishkek Manas International Airport

The airport was constructed as a replacement for the former Bishkek airport that was located to the south of the city, and named after Kyrgyz epic hero, Manas, suggested by writer and intellectual Chinghiz Aitmatov. The first plane landed at Manas in October 1974, with Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin on board. Aeroflot operated the first scheduled flight to Moscow–Domodedovo on 4 May 1975.When Kyrgyzstan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the airport began a steady decline as its infrastructure was neglected for almost ten years and a sizable aircraft boneyard developed. Approximately 60 derelict aircraft from the Soviet era, ranging in size from helicopters to full-sized airliners, were left in mothballs on the airport ramp at the eastern end of the field. With the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom, the United States and its coalition partners immediately sought permission from the Kyrgyz government to use the airport as a military base for operations in Afghanistan. Coalition forces arrived in late December 2001 and immediately the airport saw unprecedented expansion of operations and facilities. The derelict aircraft were rolled into a pasture next to the ramp to make room for coalition aircraft, and large, semi-permanent hangars were constructed to house coalition fighter aircraft. Additionally, a Marsden Matting parking apron was built along the Eastern half of the runway, along with a large cargo depot and several aircraft maintenance facilities. A tent city sprang up across the street from the passenger terminal, housing over 2,000 troops. The American forces christened the site "Ganci Air Base", after New York Fire Department chief Peter J. Ganci, Jr., who was killed in the 11 September terrorist attacks. It was later given the official name of Manas Air Base, renamed Transit Center at Manas in 2009, and closed and handed over to Kyrgyz authorities in 2014. In 2004, a new parking ramp was added in front of the passenger terminal to make room for larger refueling and transport aircraft such as the KC-135 and C-17.

Around the same time the Kyrgyz government performed a major expansion and renovation of the passenger terminal, funded in part by the sizable landing fees paid by coalition forces. Several restaurants, gift shops, and barber shops sprang-up in the terminal catering to the deployed troops.

The airport terminal underwent renovation and redesign in 2007. The contemporary IATA codename FRU originates from the Soviet name of the city of Bishkek, then called Frunze. In 2012, the airport handled 1,056,000 passengers.

Transportation from Bishkek Manas International Airport

The distance between the airport and the city center is 25 km. Depending on your arrival time at Manas International Airport; you have several different transportation options to the city center. The most preferred ones are mini buses and taxis. The most affordable option for transportation to the city center is the minibus. The minibuses Marshrutka 380 depart from just outside the airport and serve between 6:30 am and 8:30 pm. It takes 40 minutes to reach the city center by minibuses.

If your arrival time is not matching the working hours of the minibuses, or if you want a more comfortable journey, you can use the official taxis. Taxis can be booked from the taxi offices located in the passenger's lounge at the airport. Manas Taxi and Super Taxi are among the recommended official taxi offices. With Super Taxi you can get an invoice for the fee you will pay for the journey. The journey to the city center by taxi takes about half an hour. If you want to travel around Bishkek as you like you can find a car to rent just for you with a great offer by using Pegasus car rental service.

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• Relax and enjoy your trip: With JODOGO's assistance, you can relax and enjoy your journey, knowing your airport experience is fully taken care of.