Known as Khushugt Valley Airport, construction started in May 2013. It was scheduled for completion by the end of 2016, but delays have extended this to 2018. The airport will be capable of handling approximately three million passengers a year. New infrastructure and reserved land will enable future expansions to serve an estimated 12 million passengers a year. NUBIA is being constructed by a joint venture (JV) of Mitsubishi Corporation and Chiyoda Corporation, and will be operated by the Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia (CAAM). It will meet all the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

NUBIA will replace the UBIA airport, acting as a hub for both international and domestic passengers.”

Also known as Ulaanbaatar International Airport (UBIA), the existing Chinggis Khaan International Airport is one of the largest in Mongolia, serving eight international airlines.

It has a short runway, which can only be accessed from one direction due to the surrounding mountains. The airport’s existing terminal is inadequate to meet anticipated passenger growth, and adverse conditions during the winter often lead to flight delays and cancellations. Its existing facilities would have required a major upgrade to meet ICAO standards, which was considered highly uneconomical and would have adverse environmental impacts. The Mongolian Government decided to construct NUBIA in 2007 to replace UBIA and act as a hub for both international and domestic passengers.

NUBIA project and construction details

The NUBIA project will involve construction of 30 buildings, including a three-storey 37,000m² passenger terminal, an air traffic control (ATC) tower, an operations building, and a 3,600m long and 45m wide concrete runway. The runway’s construction will involve moving approximately three million cubic metres of earth. 3,339m long and 23m wide parallel taxiway, two rapid taxiways, and three exit taxiways will be also constructed.