Manas International Airport to Adopt New IATA Code BSZ Starting August 9, 2025

Manas International Airport to Adopt New IATA Code BSZ Starting August 9, 2025

As of August 9, 2025, Manas International Airport in Kyrgyzstan will officially transition to a new IATA code: BSZ. This was announced by the press service of the State Civil Aviation Agency of Kyrgyzstan, Economist.kg reports.

The change follows the provisions of IATA Resolution 763, which governs the procedure for altering codes in the global aviation system. The new code will take effect 90 days after the official notification was issued by IATA on May 9, 2025.

IATA codes are used to identify airports across international ticketing, navigation, and information systems. Changing such a code requires significant technical and organizational preparation by all stakeholders in the aviation sector. The Civil Aviation Agency and Manas Airport, in collaboration with international partners, have already begun the transition process.

Initially, it was expected that the airport would receive the code BSH, in line with the usual logic of assigning codes that reflect the city name. However, BSZ was ultimately designated.

Manas Airport’s current IATA code, FRU, was established during the Soviet era, reflecting the former name of Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Frunze. Although the city was renamed Bishkek in 1992, the airport code remained unchanged until now.

CentralasianLIGHT.org
May 19, 2025