I recently got to fly Turkmenistan Airlines, realizing a dream I’ve cherished for years (isn’t this something everyone wishes for?!). I previously shared some impressions from my Turkmenistan Airlines 777 business class journey, and now I want to discuss my transit experience at Ashgabat International Airport (ASB).
I’ve heard claims that it’s the strangest airport in the world, and I can attest to that — it’s certainly the oddest airport I’ve ever encountered! The airport appears to be built to handle ten times more traffic than it actually does, and for much of the day, I suspect there are more guards just hanging around than there are travelers.
Transiting Ashgabat Airport is delightfully peculiar
I arrived at Ashgabat Airport at 3:40AM, which happens to be peak hour at the airport, with about three flights landing simultaneously, so it was as busy as the airport gets. Well, the airport still resembled the image below — it was a ghost town!
There was a transit security checkpoint that involved walking through an x-ray and having your luggage scanned. However, no one was actually monitoring the x-ray machine, so everyone just passed through as it beeped, and nothing happened. So that feels… umm… somewhat pointless, right?
There was a small group ahead of me in line traveling from London Gatwick (LGW) to Kuala Lumpur (KUL), and one of the men remarked, “I thought we were connecting in Istanbul.” Oy. I wonder how frequently that mistake occurs, with people booking a ticket under the impression they’re traveling with Turkish Airlines, not Turkmenistan Airlines.
The primary terminal area of the airport is along a lengthy corridor. The airport is very shiny and bright, but there’s not much to offer on a deeper level. There are a few duty-free shops and cafés (only some of which were open), but don’t hold your breath for any big-name brands.
Upon arriving, I followed the signs to the business class lounge, which necessitated walking to the terminal’s far end.
I took the escalator up, and it appeared that this was where all the activity was — the business class lounge, the transit hotel, and an internet café, all in the same vicinity… score!
The downside was that the business class lounge here was shut (like, seemingly forever).
So was the airport hotel.
So was the internet café.
Speaking of internet, don’t count on connecting to the outside world in Ashgabat, at least via Wi-Fi (my T-Mobile plan also lacks free roaming there). The regular airport Wi-Fi requires a local phone number.
So I went back downstairs. One of the “benefits” of Ashgabat Airport is that there’s no lack of staff. Specifically, there are countless security personnel (I’m not sure if they’re police, military, or something else — they all wear those large hats typical in Central Asia) — there’s one stationed at each end of every moving walkway.
I attempted to ask for directions to the business class lounge, and there was a language challenge, but eventually, I was directed in precisely the opposite direction, right where I had come from. Does this airport have two lounges?!?
Side note — can I just express how sorry I feel for these security guards? I can’t imagine clocking in daily and merely standing still in an empty airport for hours on end with nothing to do. It makes me thankful that I get to do what I love for a living… in this case, flying and transiting Ashgabat Airport. 😉
The Ashgabat Airport lounge was also quite a tale
The business class lounge at Ashgabat Airport was an experience in itself. Upon entering the lounge, there was a speaker playing what I can only describe as some kind of club music (not the usual airport “club” music, but genuine club music). That wasn’t exactly the vibe I expected before 4AM, but I welcomed it!
The front desk wasn’t actually manned — instead, the attendant was seated in the back corner of the lounge enjoying a drink. However, she would slowly approach as she noticed guests arriving, to quickly check their boarding passes.
The lounge almost gives off the ambiance of an area outside a hotel conference room or something similar.
The food was basic…
…well, for the most part.
But I was cautious since I wondered how long that food had been exposed.
You know the true luxury of the lounge, though? It has Wi-Fi! I was thrilled to be able to connect, as I didn’t think that would be feasible. However, Turkmenistan’s internet is severely restricted, and none of the “popular” VPNs I typically use were effective.
Bottom line
Ashgabat Airport was everything I hoped and heard. The airport is spacious, bright, and shiny, with very few