On October 7, 2014, at 2 PM, a solemn event will be held at the T. Satylganov Kyrgyz National Philharmonic dedicated to the 81st anniversary of the establishment of Civil Aviation of the Kyrgyz Republic and the 100th anniversary of the Honored Pilot of the USSR No. 1 Abdraimov Ishembay.
The program of this event includes speeches from the country's leadership, the Ministry of Transport of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Trade Union of Aviation Workers, and others with congratulations from representatives of Civil Aviation. Awards will be presented with the badge “Honored Aviator” and Honorary Certificates from the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Kyrgyz Republic, and a video dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Honored Pilot of the USSR No. 1 Abdraimov Ishembay Abdraimovich will be shown.
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The chronicle of Civil Aviation of the Kyrgyz Republic officially began on October 7, 1933, with the very first flight made by Nikolai Yeske. By the decree of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic No. 738 dated October 3, 1994, October 7 was declared the Day of Civil Aviation.
The mountainous, difficult terrain of our region was not easily conquered by pioneering pilots. However, Kyrgyzstan managed to become one of the most developed republics in civil aviation of the former Union. This was largely made possible by the perseverance, hard work, and resilience of pilots, navigators, engineers, and aviation technicians, who often risked their lives to master Kyrgyz airspace.
With great respect and admiration, we can today recall the names of legendary aviators, without whose talent, determination, and courage it would have been impossible to conquer the skies! Nikolai Yeske - one of the first pilot instructors in Kyrgyzstan, Ishembay Abdraimov - the first Kyrgyz pilot. Ivan Filatov, Bakish Bayalinov - the names of these heroic pilots of the Great Patriotic War are our glory and pride.
One of the current strategic documents developed in our country is the National Strategy for Sustainable Development of the Kyrgyz Republic. It notes that a key direction for government authorities in 2013-2017 will be to create the most attractive conditions for domestic and foreign investors in Kyrgyzstan. Special attention will be focused on developing the mining industry, energy, tourism, agriculture, transport, the financial sector, and business based on new and eco-oriented technologies.
As is known, Civil Aviation of Kyrgyzstan is a crucial component of the transport system and production infrastructure of the country. The development of air transport is one of the priority directions of state policy in the field of transport services. Air transport in Kyrgyzstan is one of the most demanded types of transport. It has, compared to other types of transport, the advantage of reaching various points of our country and the globe in a short time. Considering that 87 percent of the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic is mountainous, the value of aviation is evident.
It should be noted that aviation is one type of transport that can make a significant contribution to the development of international tourism and trade. Due to its convenient geographical location - at the crossroads of Southeast Asia and Europe - Kyrgyzstan has immense potential for developing transit air transportation.
The Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, represented by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, has been conducting significant work in recent years to regulate and improve the activities of Civil Aviation. Substantial efforts have been made to improve aviation legislation and adopt aviation rules, and this work will continue. We are confident that all these efforts will create conditions for the development of domestic aviation.
Currently, there are 19 registered airlines in Kyrgyzstan, of which 6 are engaged in passenger transportation, while the others focus on cargo transportation and special operations.
It is also important to note that one of the main tasks of the country's Civil Aviation is to renew the fleet of aircraft operated by Kyrgyz carriers. In the last three years, domestic airlines have begun to renew their fleets with modern aircraft such as Boeing, Airbus, BAe, and SAAB. Additionally, negotiations are underway with foreign airlines to acquire other long-haul and regional aircraft.
The renewal of the fleet of the Kyrgyz Republic enhances flight safety, ensures its competitiveness, and will be one of the main conditions for restoring parity in the operation of international air routes between the Kyrgyz Republic and other states.
Year after year, the flight crews of Kyrgyz airlines are being replenished with young and energetic pilots, and their airlines train them in leading aviation institutions abroad.
In a healthy competitive environment, to create favorable conditions for passengers, Kyrgyz airlines have also begun to reduce ticket prices for both domestic and international flights.
To implement the project of creating a transcontinental air hub based on the international airports "Manas" and "Osh," as well as the reconstruction of regional airports, work is underway to find and attract investors.
With the grant allocated by the Government of the United States, a command and dispatch point (Tower) has been built at the international airport "Manas," and work is ongoing to modernize air navigation equipment.
On this day, October 7, the 100th anniversary of Honored Pilot of the USSR No. 1 Abdraimov Ishembay Abdraimovich, a deputy of three convocations of the Supreme Council of the Kyrgyz SSR and holder of the International Gold Medal of ICAO 1994, will be celebrated.
As is well known, ISHEMBAY Abdraimov was born on March 18, 1914, in the village of Bos-Boltek, Alamudun district of the Kyrgyz Republic, in a peasant family, and lost his father early. The Komsomol sent him to study aviation at the Tashkent Flight School. He rose from a regular pilot to the head of the Kyrgyz Civil Aviation Administration. In 1933, he established air routes in the high mountainous regions of Kyrgyzstan on a light biplane U-2 and a twin-engine passenger transport aircraft Li-2.
During the Great Patriotic War, I. Abdraimov defended the Motherland from German occupiers as part of the 62nd Guards Aviation Regiment, where he completed 155 combat sorties. He was awarded eight orders and seventeen medals of the USSR, ten Honorary Certificates, and seven Certificates from the Supreme Council of the Kyrgyz SSR.
I. Abdraimov has a labor record of 50 years, of which 41 years were in flight operations. He has mastered 16 types of aircraft. Ishembay Abdraimovich has logged over 17,000 hours of flight time. While continuing his work, he successfully graduated from the Lenin Order Academy of Civil Aviation in Leningrad with a degree in "Engineer-Pilot." For 25 years, he was the chief pilot for the first leaders of the republic.
The name of I. Abdraimov is inscribed in the history of statehood not only of the Kyrgyz Republic but also of the USSR. Ishembay Abdraimov holds the honorary title of "Honored Transport Worker of the Kyrgyz Republic" and has been awarded the "Aeroflot Excellence" badge twice. On May 29, 1997, the legendary pilot was awarded the international honor - the Soldier's Order named after G.K. Zhukov.
Ishembay Abdraimov is the author of 50 articles and three books: "Steel Birds over Ala-Too," "Half a Century in the Sky of Kyrgyzstan," and "Flights Continue," about the development and establishment of Civil Aviation in Kyrgyzstan. These books have become part of the history of independent sovereign Kyrgyzstan and are now essential textbooks for historians, aviators of Kyrgyzstan, and especially for teachers and cadets of the Kyrgyz Aviation College named after I. Abdraimov, which was named in his honor on March 18, 1994, by the decree of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic.
I. Abdraimov's merit includes the establishment of the Frunze Aviation Technical School of Civil Aviation on August 13, 1973, which was later renamed the Aviation College. Currently, the Kyrgyz Aviation College is one of the best educational institutions in civil aviation, training pilots, air traffic controllers, aviation technicians, aircraft mechanics, flight attendants, and air transportation organization technicians using international training methods.
Thanks to the support of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Agency of Civil Aviation of the Kyrgyz Republic, a stamp featuring his image has been issued in honor of the 95th anniversary of I. Abdraimov's birth and the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Kyrgyz Civil Aviation. Additionally, to popularize and promote the history of Civil Aviation in Kyrgyzstan and to immortalize the memory of the first Kyrgyz national pilot I. Abdraimov, a memorial plaque with his name was installed on October 7, 2009, at the house located at: Bishkek, Chuy Avenue, 162, apt. 46, where he lived for over 40 years. On March 14, 2011, a street in Bishkek, formerly known as 3rd Line, was renamed in honor of I. Abdraimov. In July 2011, a Boeing 737-400 aircraft of the airline "Kyrgyzstan" was named after him.
With the illustrious son of our country, Ishembay Abdraimov, inscribed in the chronicle of Kyrgyz Civil Aviation as the founder of Kyrgyz Civil Aviation, the current representatives of the glorious Civil Aviation of the Kyrgyz Republic have the enthusiasm and desire to overcome all difficulties and elevate domestic aviation to the appropriate level. Our Civil Aviation has a future, and it is not far off. We believe that air transport will restore its former power and glory and will again become one of the most developed and popular types of transport in our country.
Press Service of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Kyrgyz Republic
