Dzhebel Air Base

The original, smaller Soviet-era airfield at this location was not closed due to economic reasons or an accident. It was demolished as part of a strategic national project to facilitate the construction of a new, modern international airport on the same site.

The site has been completely redeveloped and is now the location of the new Dzhebel International Airport. Construction began in 2021 and was largely completed by the end of 2023. The new facility features a 3,200-meter runway capable of handling modern aircraft, a passenger terminal with a capacity of 100 passengers per hour, an air traffic control tower, and other essential infrastructure. The site is an active, newly built airport, not a closed one. The ICAO code TM-0002 was likely an informal designator for the old airfield in unofficial databases; the new airport will receive an official ICAO code.

The original site was a Soviet-era military air base or reserve airfield. Due to its strategic location near the Caspian Sea and the border with Iran, it likely served the Soviet Air Forces and, after the dissolution of the USSR, the Turkmenistan Air Force. Operations would have been military in nature, potentially for training, logistics, or as a dispersal field. The old airfield was rudimentary and did not handle any scheduled commercial or civilian traffic.

The original air base will not reopen as it has been replaced. The new Dzhebel International Airport built on the site is a key infrastructure project for Turkmenistan, intended to enhance the transport and logistics potential of the Balkan province and boost regional tourism and economic development. It is expected to become fully operational in 2024, handling both passenger and cargo flights.